


Slice of Life

by moetekitazo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Artist Lance (Voltron), BEFORE Shiro was announced gay, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pizza Delivery Boy Keith (Voltron), Slow Burn, Smut, klance, non-binary Pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2018-12-14 16:07:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 107,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11786670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moetekitazo/pseuds/moetekitazo
Summary: When Lance ordered a pizza that night, he asked for the hottest delivery girl they had. What Lance got, however, was a very hot delivery boy with a sour attitude.But even so, he ended up getting exactly what he wanted. Even if he did get the wrong order.





	1. Hot n Ready

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction in forever (but first on AO3) so I hope you guys enjoy it!  
> I've been working on this for the past six months and sorting it out and it wasn't until recently that I decided to power through it and write it.  
> Also special shoutout to my IRL friend Travis for the ideas and proofreading!

Lance McClain was practically counting the seconds until the time he was going to get out of class.

 

He just wanted to get home. Lance had been on campus since seven in the morning, not to mention he only woke up ten minutes before his first class because his alarm didn’t go off. Why Lance signed up for morning classes he didn’t know, he remembered Pidge mentioned something about them not being as crowded and the better teachers taught in the morning, however Lance was beginning to regret making this decision in the first place. A handsome man like him needed his beauty sleep after all.

 

Because nothing about his mornings these days screamed beautiful at all. More like a horrible disaster, like a tornado. Maybe something worse.

 

Lance would walk into his morning classes in sweat pants, a loose random t-shirt, his school bag, and a cup of coffee. He wasn’t really a morning person in the first place, he treasured his sleep very much, but in his first year of college, he did make an attempt to make himself look decent. That was because he had ten o’clock classes, not seven o’clock classes. There was a three hour difference, and that three hour difference affected Lance greatly.

 

Sighing, Lance slumped across his table and pouted. He was currently “listening” to a lecture about something to do with calculous, but Lance quite frankly didn’t give a damn. There were only two places he wanted to be right now. One of those placed was his bedroom, one of the only places he could get any peace and quiet and where he could let himself wind down. Sure he lived with three of his best friends and he loved them all to death, but even Lance had to admit he needed some peace and quiet. There, he could listen to music, close his eyes and let his imagination run wild, or grab a piece of paper or canvas and work on a new project. It was his own personal space, a place where he wouldn’t be judged for who he was or what he did.

 

His other favourite place was the art room on the second floor on one of the many college buildings. The view was spectacular, there were plenty of windows that showed the vast sky and the beautiful campus, and there was even a small balcony where Lance would occasionally sit out on in a chair and sketch his day away. After class, he sometimes stayed behind with the permission of his professor and drew late into the night, watching the stars come out and the moon begin to shine its light on the windows.

 

It was nights like those that Lance loved the most. Being alone, watching the stars, and … feeling like himself.

 

Lance somehow managed to look back at the clock and sat up, realizing that it was nearly time to leave. If he wasn’t awake before (In fact, he wasn’t. He was nearly  _ sleeping. _ ), he sure was now. He began to gather his textbooks and notebook and just as he placed them in his back, the professor excused the class and reminded them of their assignment due the next time they met. Lance didn’t pay much attention to it as he grabbed his bag, swung it over his shoulder, and booked it out of the room.

 

Feeling a large smile beginning to tug at the corners of his lips, Lance let out a happy yelp and ran out of the large building. All he wanted to do is go home and take a nap; the day had gone on for far too long for Lance’s liking and he needed some rest before he could do any of his work. He could practically hear his bed calling his name. Yes … It was saying  _ Come lay on me Lance and cover yourself with blankets and SLEEP. _

 

“Woah, woah! Slow down, space cowboy!”

 

However, Lance’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice, a voice he knew all too well. Turning his face to the left, Lance came face to face with the one and only Pidge, their own backpack slung over their shoulder and their round glasses on the bridge of their nose.

 

“Do you know how fast you’re walking, Lance?” Pidge exclaimed, sighing. “I know you’re in a rush to go home, but slow down a bit!”

 

“Ah, sorry.” Lance slowed down like Pidge asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wanna get home so I can take a nap or something.”

 

Pidge shook their head, “If you sleep now, you won’t be able to sleep later tonight. I suggest some coffee and something small to eat.”

 

“Awwww, but Pidge …!”

 

“No buts!” Pidge crossed their arms and shook their head, “I’m not having you keep me up all night with your shitty taste in music!”

 

Lance gasped, placing a hand on his chest dramatically for effect. “ABBA is not a shitty taste in music! They’re a legend, Pidge! An absolute  _ legend! _ ”

 

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” Pidge rolled their eyes playfully, a large grin beginning to spread across their face. They were almost about to say something else when they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of rushing footsteps coming from behind, causing the both of them to turn their heads sharply.

 

Within seconds of turning their heads, both Pidge and Lance were greeting with the sound of happy laughter and an arm swung around their shoulders each.

 

“Hey, guys! Wait up for me!”

 

“H-Hunk!” Pidges groaned, though they were still smiling despite the sudden weight. “Give us both a warning before you go all Hulk on us!”

 

“Yeah, Hunk!” Lance exclaimed, pouting slightly. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, be more careful!”

 

Hunk laughed, keeping his arms swung around their bodies. “Sorry, guys! But wow, you two walk  _ really _ fast, I was struggling to keep up! What’re you rushing around for? We practically live in the same house together.”

 

“Not practically, we  _ do _ .” Pidge sighed, shrugging their shoulders. 

 

Hunk sighed in protest, shrugging his own shoulders and removing his hand from both their bodies. He decided to plant himself between Lance and Pidge, right in the middle, and the three began to walk back to their house in silence. Luckily, they lived only a few blocks away from the college campus so it wasn’t much of a hassle to walk to  home from class, though even after a long day walking home did deem somewhat tedious.

 

Also, even if they were walking in silence now, all three of them knew that that silence would soon be interrupted by one of them.

 

Normally Pidge.

 

Pidge suddenly cleared their throat, causing both Lance and Hunk to glance at them. As soon as they saw the smug smirk tugged across their face and the way they adjusted their glasses, they both knew that the brief period of silence had been interrupted.

 

“So, Lance …” Pidge started, “Spot any good looking  _ babes _ recently?”

 

Lance quickly turned his head around, a gasp escaping his lips. “Of course, Pidge! How could they resist the perfect looks of me, Lance McClain?”

 

“Lance, you’re literally wearing sweatpants and an old pajama top.” 

 

“Still stunning.” Lance boasted, Pidge shaking their head in dismay while Hunk let out a loud laugh, giving Lance a thumbs up.

 

“Sweatpants or not, Pidge. He’s still on a mission to get as many babes as he can. This is Lance we’re talking about here.”

 

“And yet it’s Shiro who manages to get all the dates.” Pidge’s smug smile only seemed to grow, deciding to dig the knife deeper. “When was the last time you went on a date, Lance?  _ Tell us _ .”

 

Lance opened his mouth to respond, then frowned as he tried to remember. Eventually, an agitated sigh left his lips and he stuffed his hands into his sweatpants pockets as a pout was now clearly present on his face.

 

“Wow, Pidge. Way to ruin the good vibes.” Lance muttered, “Why  must you attack me like this? I’m just trying to have a fun time while trying not to drown in something known as  _ college! _ ”

 

“College isn’t  _ that _ bad, Lance.” Pidge said, and Lance let out a sarcastic laugh, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes.

 

“Says the smart one!”

 

Hunk spoke up, agreeing with Lance. “He’s right, you know. Have you seen the amount of work poor Lance is doing? His room is so full of papers that I’m surprised he can even move. I tried cleaning it the other day but … I couldn’t even take five steps in there.”

 

“Woah, you tried to clean my room?” Lance’s pout only seemed to get worse, “Jeez, now I feel really bad ‘cus you tried to do something nice! I promise I’ll clean up once I get a break.”

 

“It’s okay, Lance. We all understand how hard it is for you right now, so don’t worry about cleaning or anything in the house right now. Even though Pidge may be teasing you, they still care for you a whole lot.” Hunk glanced over to Pidge and they genuinely smiled smiled, “Of course, you still have some chores to do in the house since we all promised, but leave all the cleaning and some of the other chores to us until you get your work done.”

 

Pidge nodded, “Yup! You’re working hard, Lance, but it’s gonna be all worth it in the end!”

 

Lance looked up this his friends and allowed a large, dorky smile to pull the corners of his lips upward. He stopped walking for a moment in order to pull the two in a large embrace, taking the loving moment to mess with both Hunk and Pidge’s hair. The two pulled away with a sharp yelp, though they too had large smiles plastered across their faces.

 

“Thanks guys, you’re like a second family to me.” Lance said, beginning to walk again. “I’ll make it up to you soon, I just have to get past my first wave of finals and then I’ll have some free time.”

 

The three talked about nonsense for the rest of the way home, a few more teasing remarks were made by Pidge towards Lance but for the most part they just messed around. Eventually, they made it back to their house safe and sound and Lance unlocked the front door with his key. As they walked into the house and place their bags by the door, all three of them walked into the kitchen to see an all too familiar face sitting at the counter, his eyes glued onto his laptop.

 

“Yo, Shiro!” Hunk called out, grabbing his attention and waving to him. “We’re back from hell!”

 

“Hell, you say?” Shiro chuckled, removing the glasses sitting on his nose. “Well, it mustn't have been that bad as you’re all here in one piece. Such a shame.”

 

“ _ Daaaaaad! _ ” Pidge rolled their eyes, leaning against the counter. “Don’t smile at our suffering, we’re struggling college students and you have no right to make fun of us just because you graduated early!”

 

Shiro winced, “I don’t know how to react to being called dad, but I guess I’ll take it as a good thing?”

 

“Oh no, they totally mean it in the most awful way possible.” Lance joked, walking to the fridge and opening it to grab a drink. “I can think of far more uncomfortable things to be called other than dad. I’m sure Pidge was meaning it in a good way.”

 

“You do act like a dad, Shiro. You just have that effect on everyone.” Hunk added, sitting in a stool next to Shiro. “You’re a nice, caring man and legit save our asses when needed. Also you’re cool, like  _ really _ cool.”

 

“Well, perhaps I should be acting a bit more fatherly then.” Shiro announced, a smirk arising onto his lips. “Bed time is now at 8:30 kids, no buts. Oh, you also have restrictions on electronics and have to brush and floss your teeth twice a day from now on.”

 

“That’s impossible!” Lance slammed his drink onto the counter, “I always pass out before I have time to brush my teeth!”

 

Pidge snickered, “How to find who brushes their teeth only  _ once _ a day.”

 

“Whatever.” Lance groaned, “Anyways, I’m hungry!”

 

“Don’t we have any food in the fridge or pantry?” Hunk questioned, looking over to Shiro to see if he had the answer. To his and everyone’s disappointment, Shiro shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Sorry, guys. I forgot to make a run to the store today so I guess we'll have to have takeout. I can go to the store later if you want, but I’ll most likely be going tomorrow.”

 

“Later? No no no! I demand food  _ now _ !” Lance began to prance around the kitchen, “I haven’t ate anything all day and I could practically eat a whole cow right now. I say we get dinner early so we can just avoid all the fuss later!”

 

Hunk gasped, mortified. “You can’t just eat a whole cow, Lance! You have to cook it first!”

 

“Says the chef of the house.” Pidge said, rolling their eyes and adjusting their glasses. “But yeah, an early dinner actually sounds pretty nice right now. My day was pretty hectic, and I think we can all agree that after our long day an early dinner would be rather nice.”

 

“I agree, let’s all have an early dinner.” Shiro nodded, clasping his hands together and looking at everyone with a smile. “We just have to figure out who’s in charge of  _ getting  _ dinner today.”

 

The room suddenly fell eerily silent as everyone but Shiro began to stare down towards the ground, nervously avoiding each other’s gazes. When they all decided to buy a house together, Shiro said they should take it in turns to cook dinner and do other chores around the house, such as cleaning or doing the laundry. Even though at the time they all agreed on it, the four of them tended to slack on every chore, pretending it was either not their turn or making up an excuse to get out of them. Mostly Lance, however. He was the worst one at all. As well as the messiest one.

 

Lance nervously looked up at the three of them, an anxious laugh leaving his lips.

 

“So … Who’s getting dinner tonight?”

 

Hunk let out a groan and placed his head into his hands, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows with disappointment. Pidge pushed up their glasses with their index finger and sighed gently, glancing down at their phone for a brief moment before shooting Lance a knowing look. Shiro stared at all three of them for a brief moment longer only to then sigh loudly, he too crossing his arms and glaring at Lance with a disappointed look.

 

“Lance,” Shiro began, “I think we all know that you’re the one who’s in charge of dinner tonight.”

 

“ _ W-what!? _ ” Lance whipped his head around, his arms now dropping to his sides while his heart dropped to his stomach. He was weeded out. “I am  _ so _ not in charge of dinner tonight; It’s Pidge!”

 

Pidge groaned, scowling at Lance and crossing their arms. “Oh please, Lance! I think we can all agree, even you, that I have done dinner for the past two days! I wasn’t even supposed to do it yesterday, but I did!”

 

“But that was Shiro’s responsibility, and he ditched on us!” Lance protested, glaring at Shiro with a shit-eating smirk. “He was he one who decided to bail on us for a date with some hot chick! I bet he did it on purpose as well, so he couldn’t cook and piss me off!”

 

“I think you’re getting a bit  _ too _ lazy, Lance.” Hunk finally spoke “You haven’t done dinner in a week, I think it’s time to own up to your responsibilities. I know we said you can take it easy for a while since you have a rather large workload, however diner is a responsibility we all agreed on since the very beginning.”

 

Pidge nodded, “He’s right, Lance. We all agreed before renting this house that we would at least have the job of doing dinner once a week, sometimes making the sacrifice and doing it twice. You have to own up to your responsibilities whether you like it or not, you promised.”

 

“I agree with both Pidge and Hunk.” Shiro spoke, sighing gently as he glared at Lance with a plain expression. “You have to own up to responsibilities, we all promised. I know money’s tight, and …” He smirked, “You’re exceptionally  _ bad _ at cooking-”

 

Lance gasped, crossing his arms once again and clicking his tongue. “I’m not bad! I’m just not good!”

 

“You’re either bad or good, Lance” Pidge giggled, raising their eyebrows in amusement.

 

“Seconded that.” Hunk agreed, grinning widely.

 

Lance groaned, kicking his foot against the floor impatiently. “Come  _ on _ you guys! Is it ‘pick on Lance’ time?!”

 

“You do suck, Lance.” Shiro nodded, a large amused smile tugging the corner of his lips upward. “ _ And swallow. _ ”

 

“H-hey! No jokes like that!” Lance felt his face heat up and he glanced back onto the ground, crossing his arms.

 

Pidge giggled, “Uh oh! Looks like  _ someone _ needs to get out of the closet!”

 

“ _ No!  _ I-I … Ugh! Shut your quiznacks! I was  _ well _ out of the closet by high school if you remember correctly!” Lance focused his gaze onto Shiro now instead of Pidge, who had a shit-eating grin plastered onto their face. “Why are you guys always attacking me like this?!”

 

Shiro chuckled sitting back down in his chair and waving his hands at the other three. “Now, now everyone. Enough with the bickering, I think it’s time we got some food, eh? I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving.”

 

“Yeah, I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” Hunk nodded, pouting slightly. “You don’t even have to cook, Lance. It’s not like we have the food to cook anyways, so I would be fine if you bought us some pizza or something like that.”

 

“I agree, I think ordering a pizza or two would actually be nice.” Shiro agreed, “Look, I’ll even give you a coupon or two so it’s cheaper for you. You can’t complain now, Lance.  _ I’m giving you discount. _ ”

 

“Like free real estate.” Pidge grinned, lacing their hands together.

 

Lance groaned, finally giving in and nodding his head slowly. The other three cheered with joy, patting Lance on the back and beginning to usher Lance out of the kitchen in order to grab his laptop.

 

“Come on, Lance!” Pidge yelled, being far too excited even to Lance’s liking. “I’ll get the coupons ready, let’s order the pizza on your laptop!”

 

Sighing heavily, Lance got  up from his chair and threw his arms up in the air dramatically once again. He hated it when he was outnumbered, especially considering the fact that he was pretty damn sure that he only had a little less than $100 in his bank account currently. Lance did used to have a job, but the current load college work forced him to quit in order to save his grades, college certainly was a joy. 

 

Walking out of the kitchen in order to retrieve his laptop, Lance joined the others again in a minute who were eagerly sitting at the kitchen counter and joined them. For a couple of seconds, Lance just stared at his laptop with pure hatred, but the sound of Shiro’s voice brought him back to reality.

 

“So … What kind of pizza do you guys want?”

 

The four of them stared at Lance’s laptop, quickly getting on Galra’s Pizza website and beginning to put their order in. Lance, however, was the only one not with a smile on their face, but with a deep frown and staring down at his laptop with pure disappointment. 

 

“Oh, oh!” Hunk was the first one to speak up, “How about we get two? One of them has to be Hawaiian!”

 

“Who the hell puts pineapple on a pizza?” Pidge furrowed one of their eyebrows, looking at Hunk with a shocked expression. “You can’t put a fruit like that on a pizza.”

 

Hunk frowned, “Hey! I happen to like pineapple on my pizza! Tomato is a fruit as well and that’s on a pizza! Basically every pizza actually!”

 

“Actually, that’s debatable.”

 

“Enough, you two.” Shiro sighed, shaking his head. “How about this; We order two medium sized pizzas that are half-and-half each and we each get a side, alright?”

 

“Anything to make this go faster and to not make my bank account shrivel up in misery tonight …” Lance grumbled, fumbling with the coupons in his hand letting out yet another sigh.

 

“That’s actually a good idea, Shiro.” Pidge nodded, a smile returning to their face as they tapped Lance on the shoulder. “Can I get just cheese, please? I don’t really want anything on my side of the pizza.”

 

Lance nodded, selecting the options for two medium pizzas. He said to leave one pizza half cheese and half hawaiian, knowing that was what Hunk wanted. For the other side, he put in pepperoni for his half of the pizza, and surprisingly Shiro asked for the same on his side. Making sure the order was correct, Lance also decided to get some breadsticks as well to complete the meal, and he clicked the confirmation button as he was taken to another page to put in his information.

 

As he put in his credit card information, name, address, and coupon codes, the only thing left to fill in was any special requests. Lance stared at the blank box for a moment, pursing his lips and wondering if he had anything “special” he wanted.

 

Then, the most brilliant idea popped in his head, and Lace cracked a wide smile as he cracked his fingers and began to type.

 

“Oh no …” Pidge muttered, shaking their head in disappointment. “What the hell is Lance McClain up to this time?”

 

“Should I be worried or not, because he had that smug smile on his face and I know that means trouble most of the time …” Hunk bit down on his lower lip, looking down at the laptop screen as Lance continued to type.

 

Shiro sighed, crossing his arms. “It’s just Lance being Lance, as per usual.”

 

Lance finally let out a yelp of triumph, pounding his fist into the air and grinning ear-to-ear. He turned to look at the other three with his shit-eating smile and let out a laugh, now jabbing his thumb towards the screen and of his laptop and glancing at all three of them with a thrilled expression. Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge leaned into closer so that they could see, and all three let out a groan of disappointment as they leaned back out, Pidge even walking out of the room with their arms up in the air yelling, “I’m done! Doooooone!”

 

_ Could you send us the cutest delivery girl you have? Thanks! ^o^ _

 

“Oh my god, Lance.” Shiro shook his head, though a large smile began to spread across his face and a chuckle escaped his lips. “I shouldn’t be surprised. This is so like you, I should have seen this coming from a long shot.”

 

“Shiro, my man …” Lance stood up from his chair and bowed, still grinning ear-to-ear. “I can’t be Lance McClain without asking the wonderful pizza place to send me their cutest worker. Besides, I’ll _tip her_ _well_.”

 

“Trying to get into her pants is a  _ very  _ bad tip!” Pidge shouted from the living room, and Lance could hear Hunk try to contain his laughter. He couldn’t help but pout, crossing his arms for a moment before uncrossing them again and closing his laptop, grabbing it and holding it close to his chest.

 

Shiro chuckled, shaking his head and smiling once again. “You know, I can’t help but feel that this is going to end up backfiring on you miserably. What if they send you the complete opposite, like a dude instead of a girl?”

 

Lance let out a loud laugh, finger-pointing at Shiro with a free hand and beginning to back out of the room. Just as he was about to walk into the living room, he turned back to face Shiro and stuck his tongue out playfully, winking for effect.

 

“Noooo! Nope, nope, nope! Trust me, they’ll send me a  _ real  _ looker! I’ll charm her pants off and she’ll be begging for my number, that I can promise you! We’ll be the best and cutest couple ever!”

 

And with that, Lance left the kitchen with his laptop still tucked away to his chest and waltzed into the living room to meet up with Pidge and Hunk. Upon him disappearing, Shiro continued to stand in his spot in the kitchen and keep his eyes on where Lance had stood a moment ago, a soft sigh escaping his lips. He crossed his arms around his chest, a knowing smirk appearing on his face as a chuckle escaped his lips.

 

“... Well, Lance.” Shiro spoke to himself, “You better keep your word on that, I’m holding it accountable now.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Do you know how  _ stupid _ you look right now, Lance?”

 

Pidge looked at Lance from the sofa, a look of utter disappointment completely clear across their face. Hunk paid no attention to either of the two as he read through his math textbook, doing his homework while Lance stared at himself in the mirror near the front door, practicing smiles and different pick up lines.

 

“I’m not being stupid, four-eyes.” Lance jabbed back at Pidge, and he could hear their audible  _ tsk tsk _ though chose to ignore it. “Besides, there is a high chance my future girlfriend could walk up to my house in a matter of minutes to give me the pizzas we ordered! I’m so not letting this down.”

 

“Well, what if, for example, it’s not a girl but instead some random man?” Pidge questioned, a smirk arising onto their lips. “You could always try to charm the pants off him if he’s a good looker, you know … There’s also the possibility that there isn’t a girl working there.”

 

Lance shook his head, sighing loudly. “Why are both you and Shiro thinking the same thing? Do you both just want to watch me burn?”

 

“Oh! That actually sounds like a good idea, Lance!” Pidge giggled, their smirk only widening as they called out to Shiro. “Hey Shiro, how much money do you bet on Lance getting some hot dude instead of a hot girl?!”

 

“P-Pidge-!” Lance stumbled, his head quickly whipping around to face the grinning brunette, “Why do you insist on betting on-!”

 

“I’ll bet you $20 it’s some random dude!” Shiro replied from his bedroom, Lance quickly shutting his mouth and staring at the ground in utter betrayal. One thing was for sure, he’s not going to trust neither Pidge or Shiro after this whole ordeal is over.

 

Lance sighed, rubbing the back of his head and sending a happy glance over to Hunk. “Well, at least there’s  _ one  _ person who’s deciding to be nice to me and to not bet any money over my misery!”

 

Hunk looked up from his textbook and placed it down onto the coffee table, looking up to Lance. He stared at him for a minute before shaking his head, his own sly smirk beginning to tug the corners of his lips upward.

 

“Sorry, Lance. I can’t miss my opportunity on this one.” Hunk turned to face Pidge, pulling out his wallet. “I bet you $20 that it’s some middle aged man!”

 

“You’re on! All of you!” Pidge let out a happy yell and pulled out their own wallet as well, slapping a twenty onto the table. “I’m going to go with my previous bet and say it’s going to be some hot dude, and then Lance will begin to swoon over him and  _ never _ forget about him!”

 

Lance couldn’t believe his ears. His own friends, friends that he considered family, were turning their backs on him and even betting money on his possible misery. Well, he was hoping that there wasn’t going to be misery, he did ask  _ specifically _ for their cutest girl so they would do just that, right? Lance sighed, shaking his head and turning his gaze back to the mirror as he tried his best to block out Pidge and Hunk’s laughter.

 

_ Oh well … _ Lance thought to himself, a smirk arising back onto his lips.  _ I’ll let them eat shit when a hot girl knocks at my door with our order, then we’ll see who’s laughing. _

 

Just as Lance was about to practice one last smile and pick up line, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.

 

It was completely silent for a moment, Pidge and Hunk immediately turned their heads to face Lance and stared at him with an intense gaze. Within that moment, Lance began to regret his decision painfully, and he even began to have second thoughts. What if Shiro and Hunk were right? What if it was some random dude, possibly middle age, that came to deliver the pizza? He had then practiced pick up lines and his charming smiles for no reason then, and he knew the three of them wouldn’t let that go in a million years.

 

_ No, no. You got this, dude _ . Lance thought to himself, placing a smirk back onto his face.  _ You’re gonna do great. Your dream girl is right out that door and she’s waiting for you! _

 

Without wasting another second, Lance ran a hand through his hair and tip toed over to the front door, eagerly opening it without a glance.

 

“Why  _ heeeeeeello _ there, beautiful!” Lance began, leaning against the doorframe with his eyes closed. “Do you happen to work at Little Caesars? Because you’re  _ hot  _ and I’m-.”

 

Lance finally opened his eyes to gaze seductively at the delivery girl.

 

… Only to then realize that it wasn’t a delivery girl. 

 

Not even close to a girl.

 

It was a delivery  _ boy. _ A very tired-looking delivery boy in matter of fact.

 

Lance began to backtrack, but could only manage a few stammering  _ ers  _ and  _ uhms _ . All he could do was stare at the delivery boy in shock, hating every second of it and beginning to feel the embarrassment crawl across his body. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know that Pidge and Hunk were grinning ear-to-ear, beaming at him with their knowing looks as he could hear Pidge attempting to contain their laughter by stuffing a pillow into their face. They weren’t exactly trying hard by the sound of it.

 

Shaking his head and attempting to smile, Lance let out a very awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked down onto the ground before looking back up to the delivery boy, his face beginning to heat up and his tan cheeks now having a bright shade of red begin to spread across to the tips of his ears.

 

“A-ahahah … Sorry about that.” He glanced down once again, “I thought you were someone else.”

 

The delivery boy finally managed to speak, his voice stuttering. 

 

“... D-did you order two large pizzas with a side of breadsticks?”

 

Lance quickly glanced back up to meet the delivery boy’s eyes and he once again began to backtrack, his heart skipping a beat. Lance began to curse Pidge in his head - No, he wanted to  _ murder _ Pidge, because once again for the umpteenth time since they met, they were  _ right _ .

 

The delivery boy was beginning to blush too, redness spreading up from the apples of his cheeks, his eyes completely glued onto Lance. One of his eyebrows was furrowed slightly underneath his slightly messy hair, which Lance soon discovered was a mullet underneath his cap, and he seemed to be just as confused as Lance was. He couldn’t blame him, of course, the poor guy probably had no idea what Lance had requested, but Lance himself had made a complete fool out himself and immediately began to put his charm skills to the work without taking a single glance. Even so, Lance hated how his heart skipped a beat upon seeing his confused look and how …  _ Cute _ he looked wearing his uniform. A uniform shouldn’t be cute, no sir.

 

Although he didn’t notice this at first, Lance soon came to realize that the delivery boy had a few piercings on his face. He had a pierced nose, an eyebrow piercing, and snakebites on his lower lip. Lance swore he could see a tattoo peeking at the end of his shirt on his neck, and he began to wonder if he had more elsewhere on his body.

 

One other thing that Lance noticed was also the name tag the delivery boy wore on his purple shirt, quickling glancing down at it and reading the small print.

 

_ Hello! My name is: _

_ Keith _

 

Lance etched that name into his mind for some unknown reason and took a deep breath, glancing back up to the delivery boy with a wobbly smile.

 

Keith, however, no longer had that cute surprised look on his face. Instead, a rather irritable frown was formed on his lips, his eyebrows furrowed

 

“Uh …  _ Hello? _ ” Keith said, his voice hinting irritation. “Did you just blow in from stupid town? I asked if you ordered these pizzas or not.”

 

Now Lance was beginning to feel quite irritable himself. For many reasons.

 

“Well  _ excuse me, princess. _ ” Lance snapped at Keith, crossing his arms across his chest and wiping the smirk off his face. “I’m sorry, but in all honestly I was expecting a  _ cute _ girl, not an angry little mullet-head emo delivery boy!”

 

“Did you just … Call me  _ mullet head? _ ” Keith’s frown grew, and his grip tightened on the pizza boxes. “What the hell did I do to rattle your cage?! I’m just a delivery guy! What on earth do you mean by ‘cute girl’?!”

 

Lance scowled, shaking his head and throwing an arm out in front of him dramatically. “What I  _ mean _ is that I specifically requested a cute delivery girl to deliver my pizzas! I mean, you got to have at least one working there, right?! I was  _ relying  _ on that!”

 

Keith now glared at Lance with a look of total disbelief. A laugh escaped his lips, though it was more of a ‘This guy can’t be serious, right?!’ laugh, which only made Lance more irritated. Shaking his head, a shit-eating grin grew across Keith’s lips and he lowered the boxes of pizza down in order to glare at Lance more properly now.

 

“You know, I’ve delivered pizza to some real idiots … But I think you just taken the cake. Congratulations.”

 

Lance felt his blood begin to boil, and he couldn’t or hide the fact that now he was  _ really pissed _ . It clearly showed on his face, and he couldn’t help but ball his fists up in anger.

 

“Oh …  _ It’s on _ , mullet man.” Lance sneered, “You mad because you’re working overtime? I get it, but no need to get all pissy about it.”

 

“Who said I was working overtime?!” Keith began to raise his voice, “Remember, I wasn’t the one oblivious to the fact that I was flirting with a guy!”

 

Lance raised his voice to match Keith’s, “I asked for a cute girl! Do you guys even read the special requests?!”

 

“Why on earth would we send a cute girl?!” Keith’s voice only continued to rise, “I was the only one available, so I’m sorry that we don’t have any cute girls working today! Try again another day!”

 

“Oh, I will! I’ll order again for sure and ask for a super duper cute girl!” Lance raised his voice too, not backing down in the slightest. “Oh- And I’ll also mention to not send the god damn mullet-head anger issue delivery man!”

 

“Come on, man! I’m just doing my damn job! Now just take the damn pizzas for the love of god?!”

 

Lance let out a scowl, quickly snatching the boxes of pizza out of Keith’s hands and glaring daggers at him. Before he could set the boxes down, it was Keith’s turn to cross his arms across his chest and to send yet another amused smirk over to Lance’s direction.

 

“Hm … So why don’t you go hurry of into your house now and stuff your mouth with pizza? Maybe that’ll help stop the flow of crap pouring out of it.”

 

Lance nearly dropped his pizzas onto the floor, a yelp escaping his lips as his head whipped back to glare at Keith. This time, Pidge couldn’t contain it, and their laughter spilled through the living room as they fell back onto the sofa and held onto their stomach. Lance couldn’t believe this was happening. Not only his whole plan backfired, but the delivery boy was  _ really _ annoying and Pidge being right only irritated Lance more.

 

Oh, and that Keith was pretty good looking. Actually,  _ really _ good looking.

 

That’s what irritated Lance the most.

 

Placing down the boxes of pizza, Lance stepped back into the doorway, closer to Keith and jabbed his index finger towards his chest. He didn’t even bother trying to mask his anger this time, he was  _ pissed _ .

 

“Listen here,  _ My Chemical Romance _ .” He spoke between gritted teeth, “I didn’t ask for your sass, so why don’t you go run along back to your prissy pizza place and go be a dick there?”

 

“Me? Being a dick?” Keith’s smile didn’t falter in the slightest. In fact, in only seemed to grow. “Right … Okay. I’ll accept that, but no need to get so agitated just because your  _ straight  _ ass didn’t get what it wanted. Have a good day,  _ sir. _ ”

 

Keith gave one last glance towards Lance before turning around and flipping him off as he began to walk away. Lance let out a groan and felt his face heat up, stepping out his door one last time in an attempt to finish their petty arguement. After all, he wasn’t going to let that Keith win this one. Not in a million years.

 

“Screw you, mullet head!”

 

Lance wished he had just left it as it was. He wished he had just shut the door behind Keith and forget about him, letting it go.

 

Because Keith stopped right in his path and turned to face Lance one last time, placing his hands on his hips and shooting Lance on last petty smirk before delivering the final blow.

 

“If listening to me is so pleasurable that it gets you so riled up, then how about I ram something even  _ better _ into you?”

 

Lance stood there in utter shock, his arms limp at his sides as he watched Keith get on his motorcycle (Lance, too, found that pretty attractive, but he couldn’t find the will to live right now) and drive away. He stood motionless for a minute, not wanting to move. He wished it was just a stupid dream, that he hadn't just gotten angry over some poor guy doing his job and finding him somewhat good looking and now that he can't get him out of his head. 

 

But Lance knew better. He was completely  _ screwed _ .

 

Running a hand over his face, Lance walked back into the house and shut the door angrily behind him. He didn’t even want to glance over to Pidge and Hunk, knowing that they were going to be giving him knowing looks, however somehow Lance found the will to lift his head up over to face them and bit down on their lower lip.

 

Pidge was sitting on the sofa glaring over their glasses with a huge smile. Hunk, on the other hand, was staring at Lance with a completely shocked expression, his hands placing on his knees. Sometime during Lance’s confrontation, Shiro had entered and began watching for his own entertainment, a wide smile plastered onto his face as he stood by the entryway of the kitchen with his arms crossed across his chest.

 

It was silent between the four of them, but of course, it was Pidge that was the first one to speak, grinning at Lance.

 

“So …” They began, their glasses glinting in the light coincidentally. “... Did you get his number?”

 

Lance groaned and felt his back hit the door, running his hand through his hair.

 

He was well and truly fucked.


	2. Domin-Oh Nos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling regret with pushing Keith's buttons, Lance begins to think he should apologize to Keith when or if he gets the chance. Otherwise, his beauty sleep will certainly be lost in no time.   
> However, that chance comes sooner rather than later when a certain mullet head shows up at the one sacred place Lance calls a second home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the feedback from the first chapter on here and tumblr! I was really surprised to read messages on tumblr about the first chapter and it only fuels me to write the more. ;w;
> 
> As promised, here's the second chapter! And special thanks to Travis again for proofreading! Please enjoy!~

Lance didn’t sleep much that night. His mind and thoughts kept revolving around what had happened earlier that day, always circling back to the mullet-head delivery boy, Keith. 

 

He knew he had gone too far with his attitude, and Lance deeply regretted being so pushy. Sure he was a bit mad over the fact he didn’t get his cute delivery girl, but in all honesty, now Lance was feeling contrite giving Keith a hard time. After all, he was just doing his job.

 

Groaning, Lance tossed and turned in his bed. Sleepless nights were normal, but Lance had never been unable to sleep because he was thinking about someone else. It was always his thoughts, his troubles, his anxiety ... However, this was the first time it was about someone else other than him, and he had to admit is was a rather nice change.

 

After the whole ordeal, Pidge had emerged victorious and collected Hunk and Shiro’s wagers. Shiro argued that he was  _ partly  _ right but Pidge argued otherwise, their eyes bright and colorful as they ate their food. Hunk was just happy that he finally had some food, and Shiro kept sending Lance looks saying, ‘I told you so’.

 

Lance didn’t eat much of his dinner. He had too many things on his mind.

 

He decided to call it an early night after dinner, shoving the rest of his leftovers into the fridge for later and saying goodnight to the others. While on his way to his room, Lance could hear footsteps behind him, and he turned around to see Shiro following him up the stairs.

 

“Hey,” Shiro greeted him at the top, smiling gently. “You doing alright?”

 

Lance nodded, “Yeah … Just having some thoughts, that’s all.”

 

“Don’t go bottling them up, Lance. I know that's what you like to do, but it’s going to end up hurting you if you keep them locked up for too long.” Shiro reached out and rubbed Lance’s back, his smile only seeming to grow more fonder. “Do you feel bad about what happened earlier?”

 

“Is it that obvious?” Lance chuckled, leaning back against the door of his room now. “I guess you could say that, but he was kinda the one to start it.”

 

“But you egged him on.” Shiro added, and Lance nodded once again.

 

“Yeah, exactly that. I was kinda pissed about the whole ‘not being a cute girl’ thing but …”

 

The image of Keith popped up in his head and Lance fell silent, pursing his lips and casting his gaze downward. Every time Lance’s thoughts drifted to him since the argument, he couldn’t help but feel even more guilty. Shiro must have read the expression on his face, because he tapped Lance on his shoulder to get his attention, and when Lance did look up to meet his gaze, Shiro still had his sympathetic smile on his lips and he gave Lance’s shoulder another rub.

 

“I understand. And you want to apologize if you have the chance, right?” Lance nodded, and Shiro continued. “To be honest, you both were at fault for what happened, and I think you both had your own reasons for why you blew up at each other. Maybe perhaps you’ll see each other again ... After all, he seemed to be the same age as you, so there could a chance he attends the same university as you.”

 

“That’s just pure chance, Shiro.” Lance groaned, his head hitting the back of his door. “Knowing my luck I’ll never see the mullet head again!”

 

“You call him mullet head …?” Shiro chuckled, shaking his head. “You certainly have a thing for nicknames, don’t you?”

 

Lance smiled, “Nah, it was just in the spur of the moment in all honesty. His mullet was the only thing I could think about so that’s why he’s Mullet Head to me.”

 

Shiro let out a happy laugh, his brilliant smile growing across his face. He glanced over to Lance and gave his shoulder one last pat before beginning to walk back down the stairs, stopping only after a couple of steps to look back over to Lance.

 

“Oh, by the way Lance,” Shiro began, his innocent smile still on his face. “You do have a promise to keep, by the way!”

 

Lance furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “What do you mean, Shiro?”

 

Shiro responded happily and innocently, closing his eyes as well.

 

“You have to ask for his number! You promised Pidge and the rest of us, didn’t you?”

 

Groaning, Lance shook his head and opened the door to his room, shutting it behind him. As he heard Shiro begin to walk down the stairs, Lance leaned against his door for a brief moment and thought about what Shiro said. He placed a hand over his mouth and felt his face begin to heat up, furrowing his eyebrows as he pondered the problem.

 

He’d been given many second chances in his life, so it would be only fair to Keith that he gives him a second chance if he can.

 

After all, Lance couldn’t shake away the strange happiness he felt when he thought about Keith, and he had only seen the boy once.

 

_ This is going to be a long night _ … Lance thought as he changed into his pajamas, getting into his bed and deciding to call it a night.

 

As he thought, Lance didn’t get very much sleep that night due to a certain mullet head.

 

* * *

 

Even though Lance lived only a couple of blocks away from the university, that didn’t mean he would arrive to class on time. In fact, it meant quite the opposite.

 

Lance awoke that morning and discovered he had slept past his alarm, quickly letting out a yelp and scurrying out of his warm bed to find some clothes to put on. He did manage to find a pair of scruffy jeans and a plain blue shirt, slipping on his cargo jacket and grabbing his backpack as he bolted out the door. He was thankful that his only class that day was art, so it meant that even if he was late, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

 

Lance made it to the university campus in a whopping ten minutes, thanking his track years in high school for his ability to run. He soon made it to the art building and went up the stairs to where his classroom was, straightening himself out and catching his breath before entering the classroom with a smile on his face. He was hoping he didn’t like like he just ran three miles to class and the fact that he got up around twenty minutes ago.

 

Upon entering the classroom and heading towards his seat, Lance passed by the teacher’s desk he was all too familiar of, finger-gunning towards his teacher and winking in hopes of somewhat getting her attention.

 

“Gooood morning, beautiful!” Lance stated, winking once again. “No need to worry, Lance McClain is here on time!”

 

His teacher, a beautiful woman with long white, curly hair, looked up from her notebook and flashed a gorgeous smile at Lance. Lance always wondered how on earth their university got such a beautiful woman to teach at their school, let alone how the hell he got her as a teacher in the first place. Out of the three art teachers there were, he managed to get the most down to earth woman whose voice sounded like music to his ears.

 

“Good morning, Lance!” His teacher, Allura, beamed. “Glad to see you got here on time for once! Though, only with minutes to spare …”

 

“I know. But hey-!” Lance grinned, walking backwards to his desk area while continuing to talk to Allura. “It’s the effort that counts! It’s the first time in a while that I’m actually here before class starts.”

 

Allura shook her head, her smile still present on her lips. “I guess so. Also the fact that you’re wearing actual clothes and not your pajamas makes the effort all the more better.”

 

Lance laughed, backing up into his seat and sitting down. He placed his bag down beside him and began to take out his materials, his mood now picked up instantly. There was always something about Allura that made Lance feel like the weight was lifted off his shoulders. It wasn’t because Lance was attracted to her, he wasn’t going to lie and say she wasn’t beautiful, but listening to her voice and looking at her smile made it seem like everything was going to be okay, that all his worries and troubles would disappear for a while.

 

Ever since he met Allura, the two had their moments. Allura was quite young herself and it was one of the reasons why she got along with the students. Although Allura did find Lance’s flirting attempts quite futile, she enjoyed his horrible puns and jokes and soon enough, the two became friends through that. 

 

Lance had even gone to Allura whenever he felt bad about himself or about life in general, and it was then that Lance found out that she originally wanted to be a therapist.

 

“I’ve always found myself helping others in their time of need.” She told Lance one time he came to her for help, “Knowing that I was able to help them when they most needed it and that I made an impact on them makes me so happy beyond belief. Maybe … Maybe one day, I can do that. But as of now, my heart is with the arts. Painting is my life and what I love the most.”

 

There were times when Lance stayed behind in class just to have some time alone with Allura. Not to flirt, it was clear that she wasn’t interested and Lance respected her decision, but to paint side-by-side together. They would go out on the balcony sometimes, put on some music, and paint what they saw. Later, they would compare their paintings and give each other critiques as well as what they loved about their paintings.

 

They bonded through their love of painting, and Lance enjoyed every moment of it.

 

Lance didn’t realize this, but sometime during his train of thought, more students had flooded into the room and now Allura was standing by the white board. She was writing something on it with a pen, and as soon as she finished, Allura placed the pen down and turned to the class with a wide smile on her face.

 

“Good morning, everyone! Glad to see that everyone has arrived here safely!” 

 

Everyone said good morning back, smiles instantly lifting onto their faces.

 

Allura continued, placing her hands onto her hips. “Alright, today we’re going to be doing something quite special! I’m not sure if you all remember, but a couple of weeks ago I stated that I would have a model come in so you can all an practice drawing different poses in little time. I want to see what you can do in such limited time, and I will only be grading for effort and not for how well you do.”

 

Excited chatter began to spread through the room, and Lance looked up from his sketchpad where he had been drawing nonsense. He had forgotten that a model was going to come in, and his mood once again began to perk up even more. A large, giddy smile spread across his face, and Lance couldn’t help but silently hope it was someone cute.

 

Allura cleared her throat, causing everyone so go silent. She continued.

 

“Now … Unfortunately, the model that was supposed to come today caught the flu and wasn’t able to make it.”

 

Groans now spread across the room, and Lance too pouted in disappointment. It almost seemed like they were about to give up all hope until Allura once again cleared her throat to get everybody's attention, silence filling the room once again.

 

“But-!” She stated proudly, “I was able to contact a good friend of mine and they said they’ll be our model for today! So rest assured, we’ll continue what we originally planned today, just with a different model!”

 

Cheers of relief now spread across the room, a couple of boys in the corner clapping as well. Lance let out a sigh of relief, glad that they would continue what they had originally planned to do. He was almost too eager to get started, his pencil tapping impatiently against the paper of his sketchpad while his foot tapped against the stool.

 

Allura raised her hands up, asking for the class to settle down. “Now, now.. I know you’re all excited to get started, so let me go get them and we can get ready, alright?”

 

The class cheered, and Lance couldn’t help but let out a happy laugh. He watched Allura walk over to the door and open it, glancing around for a moment before her gaze perked up. She waved to someone, asking them to come in and walking back into the room a second later.

 

But as soon as that figure walked into the room, Lance dropped his pencil.

 

And his smile quickly turned into a look of utter, complete shock.

 

Allura turned to face the class, her smile never faltering off her face. She gestured to the person next to her, introducing them to the class.

 

“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Keith. He’ll be modeling for us today, so please welcome him with open arms!”

 

All Lance could manage was a soft whine, no words could form nor come out of his mouth. The only thing he could do is stare at Keith in utter bewilderment, hoping and praying to any god out there that he wouldn’t look his or or notice him.

 

Sadly, praying didn’t work. Because the next second, Keith was looking directly at him. There was no mistake,  _ right _ at Lance.

 

The two were locked in an intense gaze, Lance staring at Keith with a look of utter dismay and Keith staring at Lance with what seemed to be a plain, bored expression. Lance was just hoping Keith didn’t recognize him, but he was sure Keith would as their argument wasn’t exactly one that could forgotten. After all, Lance had already embarrassed himself by being completely oblivious of the fact that he wasn’t a girl.

 

Also that Keith  _ had _ called him his dumbest customer.

 

_ Way to go, Lance _ . He thought to himself, slumping forward on his stool and resting his chin on his sketchbook.  _ Ya dun goofed. Reaaaaal good. _

 

Sometime during being lost in his thoughts, Lance realized that Keith had moved to a stool in the middle of the room, Allura sitting on top of her desk now. She had her carefree smile on her face still and students had got out their sketchbooks and utensils, preparing themselves. Lance sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment in order to get all the thoughts out of his head.

 

_ Yeah … It’s going to be okay! _ Lance thought again, placing a smirk on his lips as he stared at Keith.  _ Just get past the next two hours and you’ll be all good! After all, I could try to apologize to him after if he does recognize me. _

 

Just as Lance picked up his pencil, Allura’s voice beamed loudly once again, her tone, of course though, gentle.

 

“Oh, Keith … Do you mind taking your shirt off so they can practice some anatomy?”

 

Lance couldn’t help but slam his pencil back down onto his sketchbook and use his free hand to cover his mouth tightly, hoping to muffle his gasp. He thought it couldn’t get any worse and it just did. Not only Keith was only feet away from him, but now he was going to be shirtless and Lance felt somewhat uncomfortable with that idea, and soon image in his mind. Lance had already admitted to himself that he found Keith attractive, he wasn’t going to lie, and the idea of seeing him shirtless made him both excited yet scared.

 

Picking up the courage, Lance glanced back up but kept his hand over his mouth. Keith had done what Allura had request, and his shirt was thrown onto the ground by his feet. Lance couldn’t resist it, he glanced down to his abs (He had abs, dammit!) and felt his face go a shade darker. There was no way in hell he was going to get through the two hours of what was now dubbed ‘Hell’. No. Way. In. Hell.

 

Lance’s previous thought the night before was also correct, Keith had a great amount of tattoos plastered across his body in numerous places. He couldn't make out a lot of them yet, but Lance could notice the large tattoo of a red lion on his back, the one tattoo standing out from the rest of them.

 

But Lance knew himself he couldn’t and wouldn’t allow Keith to cloud his own thoughts, so he instead quickly began to try and regain whatever composure he had left. He remove the hand from his mouth, picked his pencil up for the third time that day, and prepared himself for the assignment.

 

However, without Lance’s acknowledgement, Keith turned in his stool to face Allura, raising an eyebrow at her.

 

“Do you want me to take my pants off as well?”   

 

Lance nearly snapped his pencil in half, fighting the urge to bury his face in his jacket.

 

Allura laughed, shaking her head and waving her hand. “No, no! The shirt is the only thing I don’t want on. I want them to practice drawing folds and creases in the clothes, so please leave them on.”

 

Thanking the heavens, specifically Allura, Lance let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes for a brief moment. This time he was saved, and it wasn’t going to get any worse from there on out. 

 

Allura cleared her throat, getting the class’s attention for the last time.

 

“Alright! Pencils at the ready! I’m going to give you fifteen minutes per pose, and no more. I’ll tell you when you have five minutes left, and I will remind you once again when there is one minute left. After that, I’ll ask Keith to change poses and we’ll repeat the process again. This will go on for six poses. Do you all understand?”

 

The students nodded, and Allura gave them one last smile before turning to Keith, giving him a thumbs up.

 

“Okay! You may now start!”

 

* * *

 

At first, Lance struggled. 

 

Keith’s first pose was rather simple, though that wasn’t why he struggled.

 

It was because Keith was looking right in his direction. 

 

It almost felt like he was watching or even judging him on his drawing. Lance felt like if he made a mistake Keith would stand up in his chair and start shouting at him, however he knew better and that Keith wouldn’t do that. Yes, he had only had one encounter with him, but Lance really didn’t believe Keith was a true asshole. Well, at least he was hoping.

 

Quicker than ever, the first fifteen minutes were up. Allura told the class to stop and to get out a new piece of paper as Keith changed his pose. This time, Keith was facing away from him so that his back was facing him, and Lance felt somewhat relieved that those dark eyes weren’t glancing his way. Instead, Lance finally got a full-on view of the tattoo Keith had on his back. Even Lance couldn't deny that the tattoo of the red lion was breathtaking, and he sat there for a couple of seconds just staring at its beauty in complete awe.

 

Taking a deep breath, Lance focused all his attention on Keith and finally managed to put in one hundred percent effort.

 

He was no longer feeling nervous or angry in anyway, but instead he began to focus on Keith’s features. Like the way his hip bones perfectly peaked from the hems of his black jeans, or how his back was so beautifully sculpted and firm. Lance didn’t realize this before, but Keith’s eyes were a very dark blue that could easily be mistaken for black from far away, and there was something about them that couldn’t exactly put his finger on. Keith always had an intense look on his face, and Lance wondered if Keith knew himself that his eyebrow arched ever so slightly occasionally. It was cute, Lance decided. He was certainly going to commit that to memory for later.

 

Fifteen minutes passed again, and Lance turned to a clean sheet of paper. Keith changed his pose, and once again he was facing Lance again yet not looking at him. Now Lance was wishing he was staring at him, he no longer felt nervous and he wanted to bring out Keith’s beauty in his drawings. With every stroke of his pencil, Lance wanted to bring another Keith alive in both his memory and art.

 

Another fifteen minutes passed. Another clean sheet of paper, and more strokes of the pencil.

 

Lance began to wonder what it would be like to paint Keith on a canvas.

 

Fifteen minutes again. He turned to another clean page.

 

More lines on the paper.

 

“Last pose, everyone!”

 

Allura’s voice broke his train of concentration for a moment but he quickly got back to work, flipping his sketchbook for the last time and glancing back up at Keith.

 

For the last and final pose, Keith was staring at him once again. Their eyes locked, and this time Lance didn’t feel embarrassed, mad, nor nervous with holding his gaze with Keith. Instead, he felt rather determined, and he flashed Keith a smile before his eyes returned to his paper. 

 

The last fifteen minutes went by very quickly, and Allura told them to finish up their last details and to place their pencils down on the table. Keith got off the chair and stretched his arms out in the air (Lance managed to tear his gaze away as hard as it was), and picked his shirt up from the floor. He pulled it over his head, and Allura got up from her desk and clasped her hands together.

 

“Okay! That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Some classmates shook their heads, a few groaned. “Now … We actually went a bit over time, so I’m going to end class early for your own pleasure. I want you to review your drawings and to come prepared for a class critique, so be prepared to speak for credit and to comment on not only your work, but others as well. Have a good day, everyone!”

 

Lance let out a sigh, beginning to pack his items back into his bag. He was thankful that Allura gave them the rest of the day off, it wasn’t often that she did that and when she did it was normally when she was in a good mood. Nevertheless, Lance felt relieved, and he continued to pack his items with a smile on his face.

 

Until his eyes landed on the last drawing he did with Keith.

 

He paused, looking at it until the realization hit him.

 

No, this hadn’t been a dream; Lance had just drawn Keith, the pizza delivery boy who he had shouted at yesterday for pushing his buttons. But not only that, Lance found Keith attractive in many aspects.

 

And the fact that Lance wouldn’t mind drawing Keith again. He would do anything to get to draw him again.

 

Lance felt his face heat up, quickly grabbing his sketchbook and shoving it into his bag. He was never going to admit this in a million years, not even to Shiro who he could tell  _ anything _ to. He knew he had promised Shiro he would apologize to Keith, but giving the current moment, Lance knew all he would do is fumble up on his words and most likely regret what he says.

 

Picking up his backpack, Lance was hoping to just walk out the door and have an easy cop out.

 

But of course, he knew better. 

 

He should have known that Keith would be standing right behind him with his arms crossed, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips upward.

 

“So … Who would have known my  _ dumbest _ customer would be an art student?”

 

Lance stared at Keith with a shocked expression, trying his best to form any words but only managing a deep, irritated sigh. He crossed his arms to match with Keith, placing a frown on his lips.

 

“Well I wasn’t the one to start it,  _ Pizza Boy _ .” Lance sneered, “I look away for one moment and the next thing I know you have a cob on!”

 

Keith shook his head, “You  _ really _ have a thing for nicknames, don’t you? First Mullet Head, and now Pizza Boy … Got any more you want to spew at me?”

 

“No! You’re not even worth three or _f_ _our_  nicknames, even if they are insulting!” Lance raised his voice, taking a step closer to Keith. 

 

Keith didn’t back down, and he too took a step closer.

 

“What’s your problem with me?! I don’t know if it’s my attitude or appearance, I’ve only known you for not even twenty four hours and you are the most annoying person I’ve ever known!”

 

Lance scowled again, jabbing his finger at Keith’s chest. “Like I said before,  _ you _ were the one who started it. You could at least own up to it and apologize!”

 

“Yeah, apologize for what?” Keith leaned in closer to Lance’s face, the smirk no longer present and instead an unpleasant frown. “May I remind you that  _ you  _ were the one to drag it on? I was just trying to do my job!”

 

“Not until you apologize first!” Lance jabbed Keith once again.

 

“Fine, you know what!? I’m-”

 

Keith didn’t get to finish his sentence, because suddenly Lance felt an unexpected weight coming from behind him and the next thing he knew, he was falling forward. He threw his arms forward to stop his fall, slamming them onto the flow on either side Keith, who had also fallen.

 

It took a moment for the two of them to realize the position they were in, but once the two were fully aware what happened and the situation they were now currently in, both Keith and Lance stared at each other in other shock. Both men had blush creeping across their cheeks, and neither one could tear their gazes away from each other.

 

“A-ah, I’m so sorry!” A voice exclaimed, the person who happened to accidentally push Lance. “I wasn’t paying attention, are you two okay?!”

 

The stranger’s attempt of apologizing were futile, however, as Lance and Keith were lost in their own worlds.

 

_ Oh god.  _ Lance thought to himself, his face starting to heat up.  _ Just apologize and say it was an accident. This was totally an accident. Yeah. Don’t even think about how good he looks, or how beautiful his eyes are, or how much you would love to draw his gorgeous features again, or- _

 

“W-what …?”

 

Lance gasped, looking down at Keith and realizing what he had just done.

 

Without knowing it, Lance had just instead keeping his thoughts to himself, recite them out loud. Meaning he had just said blatantly to Keith’s face that he was good looking and he found his eyes beautiful.

 

And that we would love to draw him again.

 

Lance shook his head, feeling his face only heat up all the more. He quickly pushed himself back, scurrying back up onto his feet and throwing his backpack onto his back.

 

“I-I’m ... I'm sorry.” Lance stuttered, not meeting Keith’s surprised gaze. “Please ignore what I said, even if it happens to be true.”

 

“W-wait …!” 

 

Keith quickly got up, reaching out to Lance. He did manage to to grab onto his arm to Lance’s surprise with a firm grip, making him unable to walk out of the room but instead fix his shy gaze back onto Keith’s eyes. It was silence for a brief moment, however Keith soon breaking it by clearing his throat and looking down onto the ground.

 

However, Keith never did speak. Instead, he let go of Lance’s hand and never met his gaze again, continuing to stare down onto the ground in silence.

 

Not wanting to drag the silence on any longer, Lance quickly turned his body towards the door and quickly ran out of the room. He didn’t say anything else to Keith despite wanting to say more, despite wanting to apologize, despite wanting to admit that he wanted to get to know him better. However, he didn't.

 

Crossing his arms across his chest, Lance began to make his way home without sending another glance behind him.   
  


* * *

 

“Lance, you’ve been moping in your room for nearly  _ two  _ days now! You need to get out of there, NOW!”

 

Pidge crossed their arms and stood outside Lance’s room, Shiro and Hunk two steps behind them with their own concerned looks present on their face. Ever since Lance returned from art the other day, he had been ignoring everyone completely and shutting himself in his room. Apparently, he was sneaking food and drinks when no one was looking, completely ignoring everyone and any sort of interaction, and the three were beginning to get quite mad at him.

 

“Did something happen that we need to know about?” Hunk said loudly, “Because we really don’t like seeing you like this, Lance. We’re really worried about you!”

 

Shiro nodded, “He’s right, Lance. You can’t just lock yourself up in your room like this; It’s unhealthy. I already know this is something to do with Keith because your face had  _ Keith _ written all over it when you walked into the house the other day, so you might as well open the door now and talk about it.”

 

No response from Lance from within his room, and Pidge sighed loudly while trying to open the door once more.   


  
“Come on, man! We’re actually really worried here!” Pidge pulled at the door knob, “Where did the cool Lance go who flirts with everyone no matter who they are? The Lance that draws beautiful pictures? The Lance who’s the nicest and funniest down to earth human being ever that is also the most lovable?”   
  


Hunk frowned, “We’re really worried, dude …”

 

Shiro sighed and ushered Pidge away from the door, giving it a few tugs before standing on his tiptoes and reaching for something above the door. A few moments later, Shiro pulled down what seemed to be a small key, putting it through a small slot through the knob and unlocking the door with a quiet click. Hunk and Pidge looked up at Shiro, raising an eyebrow each.

 

“Was that up there the whole time?” Hunk questioned, and Shiro nodded.

 

“It’s only for Lance’s room since he tends to do this a lot when he’s upset. He likes to be alone for the most part when he feels like this and sometimes I feel like I have to intervene to make sure he’s okay.” Shiro said, opening the door quietly and suddenly dropping his voice. “... However, I think he’s sleeping right now because he didn’t say any petty comebacks.”

 

Both Hunk and Pidge continued to glanced up at Shiro, shocked about what he just said. Shiro just shrugged and mouthed that he’ll talk about it later, managing to quietly open the door and slipping inside Lance’s room. Pidge and Hunk followed, managing to keep quiet as well.

 

Upon entering Lance’s room, they knew it would be messy. Papers and textbooks were tossed all over his floor and desk mixed with numerous art supplies. Shiro was correct, Lance was wrapped in blankets and sleeping on his bed, snoring lightly and his arms tossed above his head. No wonder he didn’t seem to hear them, as he seemed to be in a very deep sleep.

 

“Jeez,” Pidge whispered, “He’s sleeping as if he hasn’t slept for days.”

 

Shiro nodded, furrowing an eyebrow in confusion. “You’re right. What was he doing in order to get in such a state?”

 

“U-uhm …” Hunk stuttered, his voice changing tone. “I think you guys should come see this. It’s not bad, just …  _ Wow. _ ”

 

Shiro and Pidge turned their heads to face Hunk, carefully making their way over to him and wondering what on earth made him suddenly change his tone. As the approached him, both of their gazes caught something shining in the sunlight coming from the window, and they quickly realized what Hunk had discovered.

 

In the light, their laid a painting on a canvas. It was incomplete, though it was obvious of who the painting was of just by looking at the amount of detail put into it.

 

“Isn’t that …?” Pidge whispered, taking off their glasses and cleaning them in order to get a better look.

 

Shiro nodded. “Yeah … No doubt about it."

 

Pidge and Hunk glanced up at Shiro for confirmation and he only smiled, crossing his arms across his chest and continuing to look at the canvas,

 

"That’s Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge being responsible and caring friends for Lance is all I need tbh and I'm going to continue writing it.
> 
> I'll post chapter three in a few days, like last time, and next time we'll get even more Lance and Keith interaction!
> 
> If you read this far, thank you so much!!! 
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins


	3. Pretty Saucy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro confront Lance on his painting of Keith (Which Lance himself can't exactly explain), Lance finds himself one day moping around the kitchen for something to eat ...
> 
> ... When something pops up from the corner of his eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for 1k hits!! I didn't expect this to get that many views as well as such nice comments and it honestly makes me very happy. I read every one of your comments regardless if I reply to them so thank you so much!
> 
> This was supposed to be posted yesterday, however I was very busy and thus why it is posted today. But I managed to pull a part all-nighter editing so here it is! It's a bit shorter than what I'm used to, however it's a very pivotal chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, thank you so much!

“That’s … Keith?”   


  
Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk stared at the incomplete canvas in complete awe, unsure what they were seeing was actually true or just some illusion.

 

"That can't be Keith, right?" Hunk questioned, glancing over to Shiro with a suspicious expression. "We're all dreaming this, right? Or did Lance really draw the guy that he presumably hates or maybe _possibly_ has a small crush on?"

 

Pidge didn't answer, while Shiro only shrugged and continued to stare at the painting with his arms crossed. In front of them, there was a canvas that had a beautiful painting of Keith on it, and it was clear due to the attention of details that Lance had put one hundred percent effort into it. The piercings, tattoos, hair, eyes, the shape of his body … It was all to near-perfection. So many colors mixed together to create his exact skin tone, his exact hair color, and his eyes looked so vibrant and alive the three couldn't believe the amount of effort was put into it. It was no surprise that Lance was sleeping like a log. He must have been up all night and day painting.

 

In the end, all three of them just blatantly stared at the painting, deciding that looking at it was the best thing to do given that Lance was sleeping just a few feet behind them.

 

However, Pidge turned their body in order to face Lance after a while, whom was still sleeping comfortably on his bed underneath numerous blankets. The obvious mischief smile spreading across their face was only a sign of the upcoming betrayal they were about to pull, and neither Shiro or Hunk knew whether to stop them or to let them proceed.

 

So they decided on the second option; Punish Lance for being a miserable sap for the past two days and ignoring them completely.

 

“ _ Holy SHIT! _ ” Pidge screamed, jumping on top of Lance and slamming their hands by his sides. “You’re in freaking  _ love _ , Lance! You’re so head over heals for Keith! This is the most cutest yet revolting thing I’ve ever seen you do but it’s absolutely amazing!”

 

Lance let out a loud yelp and nearly fell out of his bed, Pidge’s hands luckily saving him from his almost unfortunate fall. He was completely unaware on what was going on for a brief moment before realizing that Pidge was on top of him, his confused expression soon turned into a look of complete and utter displeasure.

 

“H-hey!” Lance yelled, “Get off me you _ gremlin!  _ Why the hell are you in my room?!”

 

“I’m not a gremlin!” Pidge pouted, eventually getting off Lance and instead sitting of the edge of his bed. The smirk though soon returned to their lips. “Besides … Someone's in  _ loooooove! _ ”

 

Lance furrowed an eyebrow, confused once again. “In … Love?”

 

Shiro chuckled, nudging his shoulder towards the painting. “I think Pidge is talking about your painting, Lance. I have to say, it looks quite lovely. How long did that take you?”

 

It took a minute for Lance to realize they were talking about the painting, and as soon as he did, his face broke out in complete red, letting out a loud yelp and scrambling out of his bed. He grabbed a blanket and threw it over the painting, making sure he was in front of it so that his friends couldn’t see it for extra measure. In case the blanket somehow didn't miraculously work out.

 

“I-it’s not what it looks like-!” Lance exclaimed, “I-I was just practicing you see …!”

 

“Practicing?” Pidge’s smirk only grew wider, “Drawing your  _ boyfriend?” _

 

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

 

“I don’t know, Lance …” Shiro now had a smirk on his face, obviously catching onto what Pidge was doing. “It seems rather detailed to the point where you know all his features  _ pretty _ well.”

 

“Now don’t you start, Shiro!” Lance groaned, crossing his arms across his chest and pouting. “I was just … I can’t explain it, okay?! I was painting and then the next minute, Mullet Head was on the canvas! It's not my fault that I was forced to draw him in art class the other day, and ever since then my head has just been full of him!”

 

“Lance, are you okay?” Hunk spoke up, his voice full of concern. “It’s not like you to get so worked up over a person. We’re ... Just really worried about you. We know that Keith rubbed you up the wrong way, but … We didn’t know it was this bad.”

 

Silence fell in the room, Pidge’s smile washing away from their face and their gaze falling to the floor as Shiro’s smirk too fell to a more serious expression. Hunk continued to stare at Lance with worry until Lance finally broke the silence with a soft sigh, sitting down on his desk chair and leaning back.

 

“I’m sorry for making you guys worry, I really didn’t mean to.” Lance’s voice shook, “I’m used to dealing with stuff like this all by myself, so I didn’t want to be a bother to you guys.”

 

“Lance, you don’t need to apologize.” Shiro spoke, a soft smile growing across his face. “We know that you didn’t mean to make us worry, it’s just that we really care about you.”

 

Lance managed a smile of his own, “Aw … Aren’t you guys a bunch of saps. I’m quite honored.”

 

“Well, we’re your saps.” Pidge said, a genuine smile tugging the corners of their lips upward. “And you’re stuck with us forever no matter how hard you try to push us away.”

 

Feeling an overwhelming sense of emotions, Lance felt his bottom lip quiver and let out a quiet sniffle. However, he wasn’t one to show too much emotions to his friends, so instead he shook his head and quickly put on a large smile, a laugh escaping his lips. He wasn’t sad, more than that in all honesty. Lance was just happy to have such amazing friends who cared for his well being and did everything in their power to make sure he was okay.

 

Lance rubbed the back of his neck and stood away from the painting, removing the blanket covering it and staring at it himself. His cheeks turned noticeably red at the sight of Keith painted on the canvas, still finding it hard to believe that he even painted him from pure memory, but this time he didn't feel defensive or mad about it. Instead, Lance felt quite achieved.

 

“I really must be an idiot painting that Mullet Head from memory.”

 

Shiro chuckled, putting his hand onto Lance’s shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Lance glanced over to him and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to say something and luckily not having to wait not too long.

 

“Not only you’re an idiot, but you’re a hot-headed idiot.” Shiro joked, “... Though, you’re  _ our _ idiot and we care for you like a family, Lance.”

 

“You’re really going to make my cry here in a minute if you keep this up.” Lance sniffled, directing his eyes back onto the painting as Pidge took a closer look at the painting themselves.

 

“Lance McClain? Crying in our house? It’s more likely than you think.”

 

Hunk groaned, “Jeez, Pidge. Way to lighten the mood up in here with your jokes.”

 

“I’m just trying to make Lance smile and you know it, Hunk.”

 

Lance let out another laugh and felt his smile grow even wider across his face. Whatever emotions he was feeling before were now gone and he was glad to be surrounded by his friends, finally being able to feel happy again. For now, Lance would put his current feelings behind him and to focus on what was important to him. If those feelings happened to turn up again in the near future ... Well, he would just have to deal with them when the time comes. Lance had done it before numerous times and so far it hasn't failed him, so he'll just do it again and again until it doesn't work anymore.

 

Eventually, Lance shooed his friends out of his room, complaining that he was tired and that he was going to sleep a bit more before coming downstairs. To his luck, the three didn't complain or protest and surprised him by carefully shoving him back onto his bed and throwing his blankets and quilts back over his body. Hunk playfully planted a platonic kiss onto Lance's forehead, Pidge ruffled up his hair, and Shiro have him a reassuring shoulder pat before leaving the room and shutting the door, leaving Lance alone in peace and quiet.

 

Before he fell asleep, however, his thoughts began to circulate once again. Lance was still unsure on what to exactly think, his mind was quite frankly all over the place and the painting of Keith in the corner of the room wasn't exactly helping either.  _Too hate Keith or not to hate?_ He thought, soon shaking his head and covering it with the covers.  _What the hell is this, a Shakespeare play?_

 

He knew it was time to start making more responsible decisions before his body and mind decide to act on its own.

 

And perhaps it was time to start thinking about a certain Mullet Head as well. Even if that meant endless teasing from a certain short someone with glasses.

 

* * *

 

Lance let out a frustrated sigh, closing his biology textbook and notebook. He didn’t want to learn about cells or anything else biology related for another week, he just wanted to get his general education out of the way so he could focus on art. 

 

But Lance knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, so instead he decided to call it a day unless he seriously wanted to bash his head in a wall. Although that seemed more and more tempting each day he went into college.

 

Getting up from his desk and walking out of his room, it wasn’t until he reached the kitchen downstairs that Lance realized that he had the whole house to himself. He had forgotten Pidge was off at the library with a study group, Hunk was at a late class, and Shiro was off on a date. It wasn’t rare that Lance had the whole house to himself, in fact it happened quite often, it’s just that Lance either went back to the art room to paint or always stayed in his own room.

 

However, today he felt different. Lance decided it was time that he  _ actually _ used the living room and watch some TV or play a video game. 

 

_Way to be progressive, buddy._ Lance thought to himself, feeling quite proud.

 

But first; Food.

 

Lance walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, only to then be disappointed at the lack of food. The past few days, all four of them had decided to get takeout instead of popping down to the grocery store, hence the lack of food in the fridge and pantry. Closing the fridge with yet another frustrated sigh, Lance paced around and thought about what he was going to do for food. There was no food in the house, the only car they had was currently with Shiro, and despite living near the college campus, there was barely any food places. Just a lot of cafes which were most likely closed at this hour.

 

He was almost about to give up until Lance spotted something out of the corner of his eye, a certain something laying on the kitchen counter. Lance stopped and picked up the small brochure from the cold marble, scanning it quickly to see what it was.

 

_ 20% Pizza at Galra Pizza only! USE BY---- _

__   
__   
A number of thoughts began to run through his head, and believe it or not, food nor pizza were the top thoughts. Instead, Lance began to think about a certain someone who he could not get out of his mind for the past few days.

 

Keith.

 

Lance had an idea, suddenly, and he quickly raced into the living room and fished for his laptop that was sitting on top of the coffee table from before. He slammed the coupon brochure onto the table and began type the Galra’s Pizza’s URL into the searchbar, the website soon popping up and Lance quickly getting to work.

 

He knew that this was probably the dumbest idea he’s ever had, but Lance wanted to get the heavy weight off his chest. Besides, he would feel better if he apologized to Keith, right?

 

Twenty minutes after he ordered the pizza, Lance was  _ freaking out _ .

 

“Oh god …  _ Why _ did I do that?!” Lance spoke to himself, sitting on the sofa wrapping his arms around his legs. “He’s going to recognize this house right away and freaking hate me! Especially after today, what the hell was I thinking?!”

 

He decided to blame whoever left the coupon on the kitchen counter for the time being instead of himself. _Yeah, stupid brochure! If it wasn’t 20% off, I wouldn’t have ordered you!_ However, cheap food is one of Lance’s weaknesses; He couldn’t pass free or discounted food.

 

So he was most likely screwed right from the beginning. Well, or at least when his eyes landed on that coupon.

 

“I can’t do this …” Lance shook his head, getting up from the sofa and walking towards the kitchen. “I’m just going to leave a note at the door with the tip and ask him to leave it there. I’m not going to lower myself to his damn level!”

 

Lance quickly entered the kitchen and grabbed a pen a paper, quickly scribbling the words messily and digging into his wallet for some spare change. After making sure he had the right amount, Lance made his wake back into the living room towards the front door, stopping in front of it and looking at it with the most serious expression ever.

 

He was silent for another minute before groaning, stomping his foot onto the ground and proceeding to grab the handle, turning it.

 

“Dammit, why am I so damn nervous to see him?!”

 

“See _who_ now? Your _date?”_

 

Lance froze midway opening the door, the voice all too familiar now. Lance felt his heart drop down to his stomach though somehow finding the courage to look up, his eyes meeting an angry, dark pair.

 

Actually, his eyes saw the mullet first. Either way, Lance was not expecting Keith to be right at the door, wearing the same pizza delivery outfit from the first time he saw him with his usual “bratty” expression. Lance was beginning to wonder if this man had any other facial expression, however now wasn’t exactly the right time to think about that. Also, stop looking at his piercings. Especially the snakebites.

 

“W-what …” Lance looked around, still shocked.” Don’t tell me … You heard me talking to myself-?”

 

Keith snorted, “Did I not? You were practically shouted your lungs out in there, I’m surprised the whole neighborhood didn’t hear you.”

 

“Hah. Hah. Very funny, Mullet Head.” Lance cursed under his breath, closing his eyes. “I’m sure you’re  _ very _ pleased to be here right now after what happened the other day.”

 

“The other day?” Keith thought for a moment before continuing, “Oh, that's right. When we bumped into each other in the art class? I didn’t know you were an art student, Pizza Boy. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised myself, but I decided to have a little _fun_  while I was there.”

 

“Fun?” Lance pursed his lips, thinking hard before realizing what Keith had meant.

 

_ “Do you want me to take my pants off as well?” _

 

Lance nearly let out a scream at the sudden realization, raising his hand and pointing at Keith with a shaky finger.

 

“Y-you pervert! You were totally planning on doing all that, weren’t you?!”

 

Keith shrugged, a smirk pulling the corners of his lips upward. “Not all of it. I was quite surprised to see you there in all honestly. But as soon as I saw your pretty, little shocked face, I couldn’t help but have to tease you in some way or another.”

 

_ Pretty little shocked face?! _ Lance felt his cheeks heat up, lowering his finger in shame. All he could manage was a few stutters and mumbles before his shoulders slumped in defeat, his gaze falling onto the ground. He muttered a few curse words in spanish before looking back up to Keith with a shy expression, expecting to see his smug smile.

 

However, Lance instead was greeted with a brilliant, wide smile from Keith, his own cheeks stained a light red. The mere sight sent Lance’s heart racing, he wasn’t expecting Keith to smile so … Brightly. It almost seemed impossible. Call Lance crazy and stupid, but within the short amount of time he's known Keith (Let’s face it; He  _ barely _ knew him), Lance didn’t expect the man to have such a lovely, handsome smile. 

 

In all honestly, Lance thought if Keith was able to smile genuinely his face would crack. Either that or it would be the end of the world. Minus one point for Lance being completely judgemental and wrong.

 

Lance sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, glaring back up to Keith with a frown on his face. There was no way in hell he was going to go ahead and continue shouting at him now after seeing that smile. It would only make him feel all the more worse, so it seemed like the best time to actually apologize to Keith about the mishaps earlier.

 

“Hey, man …” Lance started, managing somewhat of a genuine smile. “I’m glad you think I have a  _ pretty _ shocked face, but I actually ordered pizza not only because I am a very basic man with very basic food needs-”

 

“I don’t know you,” Keith interrupted Lance, a different small smile spreading across his face. “But I know you don’t have simple needs at all.”

 

“Okay first of all,  _ fuck you _ -” Lance muttered and Keith laughed, and boy did that send Lance’s heart racing. He continued though, despite it, “But second, I actually hoped it would be you delivering the pizza because I …”

 

Lance took a deep breath to calm his heart down before continuing, praying that it wouldn’t burst out of his chest at this rate.

 

“... I actually wanted to apologize to you, Keith. Not only for today where we had that little accident, but when we kinda first met.”

 

Keith pursed his lips, holding the box of pizza in his hands while shifting the weight to the left side of his hip, sticking it out. He seemed to be thinking about something before a soft sigh left his lips, an amused smirk once again spreading across his lips and raising an eyebrow at Lance.

 

“I have to say, I’m kinda surprised you're apologizing to me right now.” Keith spoke in a kind tone, once again Lance mentally kicking himself for being a judgemental piece of ass. “Not that I don’t think you’re a nice person, I’m not one to really judge, but I would think you’re more of the competitive type.”

 

“Oh, I am.” Lance smirked, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms across his chest. “And nothing would bring me more satisfaction than me winning against you and not only that, be  _ better  _ than you.”

 

“As I stand by my saying before, you’re definitely the competitive type.”

 

Lance chuckled, “I love myself a bit of competition, but that’s not the point here unfortunately.”  He sighed, “The point is, I feel like  _ … really _ bad about what I said and did to you. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t really slept well recently because I was a dick to you the first time and then the second time I just stormed off all pissy.”

 

_ All pissy and worked up. Possibly _ _fuming. And questioning how attractive you are._ Lance added mentally. He'll never admit that out loud.

 

Keith stared at Lance with a surprised expression, seeming to be shocked that Lance was apologizing to him and feeling a bit guilty himself for what happened. He stayed silent and Lance didn’t like that at all, instead clearing his throat and feeling his face heat up all the more as he decided to continue with his apology.

 

“It was wrong of me to act like that, you were only doing your job and I was acting not only selfish but like a child. I admit myself that something I get a bit giddy and a bit far ahead of myself, but it’s just that sometimes I might go a little too far even for my own liking. I … I don’t hate you, Keith. I don’t hate you at all, it’s just that I think maybe we just both got a bit riled up and perhaps we were both got a bit too carried away?”

 

Lance, in all honesty, had no idea what the hell he was saying. All the words seemed to be rolling from his tongue and he couldn’t help himself, all he wanted to do was to prove that he was well and truly sorry. Hoping that was enough, Lance’s mouth formed a thin line and he stared down onto the ground, unwilling to meet Keith’s gaze now.

 

Luckily for him, it wasn’t too long before a soft laugh left Keith’s lips, causing Lance to raise his head up in order to look up to him. Once again, Lance was left speechless as Keith had another kind smile spreading across his lips, and also to his surprise, Keith took a few steps closer to Lance in order to speak to him more personally.

 

“I’m sorry as well … Uh …?” Keith looked at Lance and he swore he could see blush forming onto the apples of his cheeks, his heart dropping to his stomach.

 

_ Oh my gosh that is cute. What the fuck. _ Lance thought to himself, only then realizing that Keith didn’t know his name. Quickly sucking in a sudden, deep breath, Lance threw his arms out in front of him and quickly stuttered out his name.

 

“L-Lance!” He shouted, “My name is Lance!”

 

Keith stared at Lance for a moment before laughing again, and god Lance  _ couldn’t _ get enough of that laugh. Laugh’s shouldn’t be this cute and attractive, what the hell.

 

“Well-” Keith chuckled, “Alright,  _ Lance. _ ” The way his name rolled out off Keith’s tongue excited him way too much for his liking, “I’m sorry for my behavior as well as I do agree that I too got a bit too carried away. My patience wasn’t very good that day and, well, I kinda took my anger out on you when I didn’t mean to. I hope that didn’t change what ever impression you have on me.”

 

“I accept you apology,  _ Hot-Headed Keith.” _ Lance purred, grinning as he saw Keith’s face morph into shock then a red mess. Success. “And don’t worry, I don’t think anything bad about you. You’re a cool, emo pizza delivery guy.”

 

“Emo? Pizza Delivery Guy? My Chemical Romance?  _ Mullet Head?” _ Keith smiled once again, his tone teasing. “Just how many nicknames do you have for me?”

 

Lance chuckled himself, “Only those.  _ For now.” _

 

“You’re an interesting guy, Lance” Keith said, handing the pizza to Lance. “There's not many times I forgive people for being an absolute dick to me, normally I bash their brains in. But this time … I’m feeling rather nice.”

 

“Oh boy do I feel  _ lucky _ .” Lance joked, rolling his eyes and taking the pizza off Keith. He handed him a generous tip and then just stood there, looking at Keith and unsure on what to say. Keith seemed to be in the same situation as well, taking the tip and stuffing it into his pocket while crossing his arms across his chest while staring into his eyes.

 

For a while, the two just stared, silent and unsure on what to say. Eventually, Lance broke the silence with an awkward laugh, running a hand through his hair and smiling shyly towards Keith.

 

“So, uh …” Lance laughed uncomfortably again, “I presume you have a job to go back to.”

 

Keith pursed his lips, “Yeah …”

 

Lance laughed, shaking his head. “It’s okay, you can head back now. I feel much better apologizing to you and knowing that you forgive me.”

 

“Do I?” Keith joked, placing a hand on his hips. “Nah, I forgive you tenfold. We were just two guys being typical douches, that’s all.”

 

“Couldn’t agree more, Keithy-Keith.”

 

“And another name to add to the nickname list, I see.”

 

“And more to come.” Lance raised an eyebrow, smiling charmingly as Keith rolled his eyes and waved a hand towards Lance.

 

“Whatever, I’m out of here.” Keith said, beginning to walk backwards only to stop and look at Lance with a genuine expression. It wasn’t mad or pissy, but instead smilingly gently and biting his lower lip all while crossing his arms across his chest.

 

However, before Keith took another step backwards, Lance took a step forward and called out to Keith.

 

"Oh! By the way, Mullet Boy-!"

 

Kieth stopped walking and looked up to Lance with a quizzical look, waiting for Lance to speak.

 

"I know this is  _cheesy-"_ Lance began, a sly smirk arising onto his lips."-But I think you're  _saucy."_

 

Lance ended his pun with finger guns with a few added  _Pew! Pew!_ sound effects before Keith bucked over and grabbed onto his stomach, a new set of laughter rolling past his lips. Once again, Lance stood there in complete and utter awe, listening to Keith's laughter that he could only describe as absolutely  _beautiful_ before a smile of his own began to spread across his face. He was enjoying this way too much, his heart was beating way too hard for his liking as well. However, Lance didn't mind it at all. If he was going to have a straight up heart attack all due to Keith's laughter then go ahead, it was a nice way to go out. Death by joyous laughter ... Seemed quite nice.

 

Lance isn’t sure why, but he just realized that Keith’s tattoos preached from the end of his shirt and traveled down the entirety his arms, his hand covered by a pair of black fingerless gloves. Was Keith wearing those last time or was he too angry and pent up to realize? Either way, it was attractive as fuck and Lance was starting to think he was getting it bad for Keith, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

 

If Pidge is right and damn if he falls for Keith, he won’t hesitate strangling that smart four-eyed gremlin. 

 

But what the hell was he talking about? He’s only just met the damn guy, how could he be falling for him?! Shaking his head, Lance smirked and raised a hand at Keith, waving him off while a soft chuckle escaped his lips. Keith had calmed down as Lance was wrapped up in his thoughts, and he could only hope he wasn't staring at the mullet head like a love-struck idiot for the past minute or so.

 

“Don’t wait on me, Keithy-Keith. I’m sure we’ll see each other again. After all, I’ll be able to smell the douche radiating off you any day.”

 

“I … I Don’t know how to exactly feel about that, but I’ll presume that it’s a good thing?”

 

Lance nodded, “It’s the nicest thing I can think to say right now.”

 

Keith smiled, shaking his head in disbelief before turning around and walking back to his motorcycle.

 

“I know we’ll meet again, _darling!”_ Keith teased, shouting one last time, “Trust me, it’s in the  _ box!” _

 

_ In the … Box? DARLING?! _ Lance quirked an eyebrow and was about to call out to Keith before he got onto his bike and started it up, placing his helmet over his head and riding off into the darkness. He didn’t have enough time to ask Keith what on earth he had meant, so instead he sighed, exhausted from the conversation and walking inside the house with the box of pizza in hand.

 

Though he was exhausted, Lance felt so damn giddy being able to talk to Keith again and not only that, apologize and joke around with him. He’s an alright guy, Lance thought. But he was still a douche to him in his book no matter how that conversation turned out. Hot n’ douchey. Hopefully that’s not the type he’s into because otherwise he might as well shove his face into the pizza right now.

 

Lance placed the pizza onto the table and grabbed a plate from one of the kitchen cupboards. He placed it on the table and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before settling down on a chair and opening the box of pizza.

 

However, instead of being greeted with not only a pizza, Lance was greeted with fancy, neat handwriting on the inside of the pizza box clearly written in sharpie directed towards him.

 

_ Hey, _

_ Sorry about our previous encounters. If we somehow make up or something, here’s my number so we can hang out or whatever. Yeah. _

 

_ -Keith _

 

_ PS: I like your dorky smile. It’s stupid. _

 

Lance stared at the writing in awe for a moment, rereading it over and over again before realizing what it  _ actually _ said and that it was clearly written by Keith. Lowering his head in embarrassment, Lance let out a shaky sigh and ran a hand over his face.

 

Now he was at  _ least _ ten- No,  _ one _ percent sure that he was falling for Keith.

  
“I’m so damn  _ fucked.” _

 

* * *

 

 

"You look particularly happy, Lancie-Lance Lance."

 

"Shut up, Pidge!" Lance threw his pencil at Pidge's head, though they managed to duck just in time to Lance's disappointment. Pidge let out a proud laugh, picking up the pencil from the ground and about to chuck it back towards Lance's direction when Shiro walked into the kitchen.

 

Lance turned to face Shiro, only to find him holding something that shouldn't be in his hands right now.

 

The beloved pizza box that Keith had written his number on.

 

_Oh no._   


 

"Hey, Lance?" Shiro began lifting up the pizza box for Pidge and Lance to see, completely unaware of the hell he was about to potentially release. "I found this in your closet while Hunk and I were cleaning your room. How long has this been in-?"

 

Before Shiro could even finish his sentence or Pidge saw what he was holding up, Lance went into action. He swiftly jumped up from the chair he was sitting on and dashed towards Shiro, snatching the pizza box out of his hands and proceeding to bolt right past him and up the stairs towards his room. Shiro didn't even have time to process the fact that Lance had just strategically grabbed the pizza box from his hands, and before he could even say something, Lance was already halfway up the stairs. 

 

"What the ..." Shiro stared down at his hands and back to the chair Lance was sitting on. Pidge only shrugged their shoulders, clearly just as clueless as he was before turning back to their notebook and proceeding to continue with their work.

 

"Beats me, old man." They said, beginning to write something down. "Maybe he had a bit of pizza left in there that he wanted all to himself. You know how he is with food, it's either entirely his or not his at all."

 

Shiro only sighed, rubbing the back of their neck and proceeding to walk out of the room with furrowed brows.

 

"Did they just call me an _old man?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins the unexpectant bond between Keith and Lance~
> 
> From now on, it will be a weekly update! Expect an update once a week and keep an eye on my tumblr for updates/sneak previews. If you wish to see all the posts relating to my fic, search "Slice of Life fic" on my tumblr. Once again, thank you so much if you've read this far!
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins


	4. With or Without Sausage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance can't decide whether he likes sausage on his pizza or not. In the end, he ends up even more confused than ever with even more feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College starts next week for me but I'm going to try by best to power through with weekly updates. The best way to keep up with updates on this fic is on my tumblr which you can find at the end notes^^
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the chapter! And thank you for reading!

Lance still couldn't believe that Keith gave him his cell phone number. His  _ actual _ cell phone number. No, it was not a prank or some stupid silly dream. But Keith’s real and legit cell phone number where Lance could either call or text him.

 

He wasn’t going to admit he actually kept the damn pizza box where Keith had written his number down with his nice handwriting (How did that jerk have such nice handwriting? Lance was impressed) in a million years. Nor the fact that he was able to acquire Keith’s number to anyone, especially a certain short person with round glasses who would would tease the living daylights out of him if they found out.

 

For now, it would be just a nice little secret to himself.

 

Besides, what were they now? Acquainted? Buddies? Friends? Lance wasn’t so sure, but he wasn’t going to random send a text to Keith asking what their relationship status was. Let alone let that be his first message.

 

In fact, Lance was too scared to even text Keith.

 

For a few days, all Lance would do is stare at Keith’s number in his phone contact’s, unsure whether he  _ should  _ actually text him or even if he did, what would he text him?  _ Oh hello, it’s Lancelot and I may be gay for you? _

 

“Not in a single chance …” Lance grumbled that night, rolling in his bed while struggling to sleep. 

 

He spent a few sleepless nights on thinking what the hell kind of a message to send Keith, and in all honesty, he was just worried that he would somehow mess it up. What is Keith was instantly turned off with what Lance texted him? What if he changed his mind? That’s not what Lance wanted at all. In fact, he was actually starting to wish he could hang out with Keith and get to know him better. 

 

So after two sleepless nights, it began to take quite a toll on his mind and, of course, sleep schedule. Lance was beginning to grow tired and stare at his phone non-stop, catching the attention of his friends, of course, after so long.

 

“Lance, you’re doing it again.” Hunk said, sighing as he stirred the cookie batter in the bowl in the kitchen. It was the weekend and neither of them had any classes, so they all decided to relax in the house and take it easy for the day.

 

“Doing … Doing what?” Lance looked up from his phone and blinked, his eyes a bit sore and red from the lack of sleep.

 

Pidge sighed, looking up from their book. “What Hunk is trying to say is that you’re staring at your damn phone with a look of a puppy that’s just been kicked.”

 

“A-am I really?!” Lance squirmed in his seat, shoving his phone into his pocket before any of them could see. He let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to cover up his nerves, forcing a nervous smile onto his lips.   


  
“Yes … Yes you are.” Pidge continued, setting their book down onto the kitchen table and standing up. “And you’ve been doing it ever since that night we left you alone here. Did …  _ Something happen? _ ”

 

Lance felt himself sink into his seat and glared directly onto the ground. Hunk now had stop stirring the cookie batter and had placed the bowl down onto the counter, looking over to Pidge and giving them one of his knowing looks. Pidge got the idea, and letting out a soft sigh they walked over to Lance and leaned down to whisper into his ear.

 

“Look, man. I already know you got pizza because a may have slipped a coupon onto the counter that is now gone and I  _ know  _ you used it to see Keith-”

 

_ “You-!” _ Lance let out a yelp and stood up from the chair, glaring at Pidge with a shocked expression. “You set me up?!”

 

Pidge’s smirk only grew across their face, “I’m glad you’re not denying it so you’re officially past the first stage.” They chuckled, “But in short, yes.  _ We _ did set you up. Hunk, Shiro, and I came up with the idea together to slip that coupon there and leave you all alone in the house so you could confront Keith on your own terms.”

 

A part of Lance couldn’t believe Pidge and their friends managed to come up with such a successful plan, but after all, it was Pidge. Pidge could practically do anything and it would be successful no matter what. In the end, Lance decided to just accept the truth and let out a tired sigh, slumping back into his seat and slamming his head onto the table.

 

“You’re too damn smart, you know?” Lance groaned, “How come everything you do always turns out completely successful? It’s almost scary.”

 

“Does that mean you managed to talk to Keith and apologize?” Hunk spoke up, walking over to the two and placing a reassuring hand onto Lance’s shoulder. Lance eventually nodded and raised his head up, his cheeks stained a bright red.

 

“Yeah … He actually wanted to see me again surprisingly. It was kinda weird, y’know? But … I’m really happy that I was able to talk to him again.”

 

“Okay, that’s really gross but cute.” Pidge gagged sarcastically, shaking their head and leaning closer to Lance. “But did you get his number? Are you guys gonna start hanging out with each other? Are you in  _ loooooooove _ ?”

 

“First of all, I’m not in love.” Lance groaned, feeling his face only heat up all the more at the mention of the word. “But second, yes. I did get his number. Actually, he was the one to give it to me by writing it inside the pizza box”

 

“It looks like Keith wanted to apologize too.” Hunk said, a smile arising onto his lips. “But that’s really amazing, Lance. I’m glad that you two were able to clear things up in a nice, calm matter.”

 

“Well I’m going to admit it was a bit rocky at first,” Lance chuckled, “But after a few heated exchanges, we apologized and he left me with my pizza that, of course, had his cell phone written on the box.”

 

“Heated exchanges being-?” Pidge said with a grin, but was quickly cut off with Lance slapped a hand over their mouth.

 

“No, Pidge. We did not make out or do anything remotely close to that.”

 

“Anyways, let’s get back to the point.” Hunk said, grabbing a chair and sitting on the other side of Lance. “You’ve got Keith’s number, right? Have you texted him yet or … Is that why you’re looking down at your phone with a look of utter sadness?”

 

Lance groaned, shaking his head and pouting. “No, I can’t muster up any balls to text Keith because I’m too damn scared and worried I’ll somehow mess it up.”

 

“Aw, that’s not like you at all, Lance.” Pidge pursed their lips, tapping their finger against the table. “Where’s the flirty, dorky amazing Lance who kills it at seducing people? Also seducing a certain pizza delivery boy called Keith-!”

 

“P-Pidge, you’re not helping!” Lance yelled, jumping up from his chair and sending Pidge a warning look. “I’m just worried that he’ll think I’m a goddamn idiot, okay?!”

 

“I think it’s nice to see Lance be all caring and careful like this, Pidge. Think of it as a good thing.” Hunk laughed, “Besides, it’s rare that we see him second guessing his actions, so that means he just  _ really _ cares about this and doesn’t want to mess this relationship up.”

 

“Don’t worry, Hunk.” Pidge sighed, “I’m only teasing Lance here. I want the best for him as well so how about we help him send a message to Keith?”

 

The three sat down together and decided to use the brainpower they had to attempt to construct some form of a message that would seem appealing to Keith. For the most of it, it was mainly just Pidge and Hunk throwing ideas at each other while Lance sat in the middle of them listening to their nonsense banter, not really paying attention to them at all. 

 

“How about, ‘Hey Keith it’s Lance I’m gay for you’?” Pidge thought out loud, only to have Hunk shake his head in disagreement.

 

“No, that’s way too straightforward.”

 

“Well, Lance isn’t exactly straight so I think it would work.”

 

Hunk rolled his eyes, “Hah, hah. Very funny. Now let’s be serious and try to conduct a message that’s a bit more Lance-like?”

 

Lance groaned, his chin hitting the table as he stared at his phone at the blank message screen. This was beginning to tick him off quite a bit. After all, this was supposed to be something easy and here Lance was, procrastinating and worrying about what to even send Keith.

 

It seemed like no matter how many meaningless and … Quite boring idea’s Hunk and Pidge threw out, it didn’t scream Lance to him. Lance wanted to let Keith know it was him, and he wanted it to be something memorable for him.

 

_ Something memorable … Eh? _

 

Suddenly, Lance’s thumbs began to tap onto the keyboard, typing out what he thought was the ultimate perfect message. Yes, it most definitely screamed Lance McClain. There was no way in hell Keith was going to forget about this, not in a long time.

 

Hitting the send button, Lance felt a large grin grow across his face and he looked up to meet both Hunk’s and Pidge’s gazes.

 

Only to find them in an intense argument, about the message of course.

 

“What do you mean that’s too dull and boring?!” Hunk exclaimed, pulling his face at Pidge who was obviously,  _ very  _ intensely into the debate.

 

“We’re not trying to be cute and innocent, Hunk! Lance is obviously wanting something that’s flirtatious and straight to the point, so we need to do something like, ‘Hey I think you pretty cool and pretty hot let’s go out on a date’!”

 

“U-uh … Guys?” Lance tried to cut the conversation, only to have Hunk’s voice overpower his.

 

“Who the hell sends their first message to a potential crush saying that?! You have to get to know them first and trust me, that isn’t the way to go!”

 

Pidge pouted, “And who’s the love expert in this house?!”

 

Lance groaned, standing up and slamming his fists onto the table with a loud thump.

 

_ “OBVIOUSLY SHIRO IS THE LOVE EXPERT IN THIS HOUSE BECAUSE HE’S THE ONLY ONE TO MAINTAIN A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP!” _

 

Hunk and Pidge glared up at Lance with shocked expressions, their mouths opening and closing however no words forming from their mouths. In the end, the two just remained silent. Lance sighed, shaking his head however forming a smile onto his lips.

 

“Your silence speaks many volumes, you two.” He chuckled, “Meanwhile, while you two were bickering, I managed to send a text message to Keith all by myself.”

 

That certainly snapped the two out of their silence trance, because the next second, both Pidge and Hunk let out loud gasps.

 

“You did  _ WHAT!? _ ” Pidge shrieked, though a large grin was plastered across their lips.

 

“You actually sent him a  _ message?!” _ Hunk exclaimed, placing their hands onto Pidge’s shoulder and staring at Lance with an expression filled with excitement.

 

Lance grinned, raising his phone up to them for the two to see.

 

“Take a good looooooong look for yourselves!”

 

The two looked up eagerly to his phone …

 

Only to be  _ severely _ disappointed on what he had just sent Keith.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ I’m available with or without sausage.  _

 

“In all honesty, Lance,” Pidge spoke straight to the point, both impressed and unimpressed at the same time. “I don’t exactly know what emotion I’m feeling right now. All I know is that it’s not a good feeling.”

 

“Did you just …. Send him a pizza pun?” Hunk questioned, he too unsure what to think about the message as a whole. Lance only laughed, a cocky grin spreading across his lips as he presumed triumphed victory.

 

“Of course I did, Hunk! After all, that’s how we first met, isn't it? It would be the perfect thing to send him!”

 

“I think you’ve just made a grave mistake Lance, mark my words.” Pidge groaned, now clearly unimpressed. “I … Know what kind of man Keith is, trust me. You’re going to deeply regret this sooner rather than later.”

 

“How on earth do you know what kind of-?!”

 

Before Lance could finish his sentence, his phone buzzed in his hand as he just received a new message. Eager to read if it was from Keith, Lance unlocked his phone to read the message, his grin growing wider and wider by the second.

 

Which soon dropped as soon has his eyes scanned through the message, nearly dropping his phone onto the floor.

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ At this rate I’m hoping it’s without the sausage. _

 

“Damn, Lance.” Hunk whispered, patting him on the back reassuringly. “That’s gotta burn.”

 

Lance groaned, “You’re telling me ....” He fell back into his chair, defeated. Meanwhile, Pidge let out a loud laugh and held onto their stomach, clearly amused with the response Keith has sent Lance. In fact, they were laughing so hard that tears began to form at the edges of their eyes.

 

“Holy  _ shit _ that was AMAZING!” Pidge rolled in their seat, “I knew he would say something like that! Oh my goodness this is the best thing to happen to Lance to  _ date!” _

 

“Pidge, what the fuck?!” Lance glared daggers at Pidge, crossing his arms across his chest. “How dare you laugh at my misery! As you can clearly tell I am in very distraught situation over here!”

 

“Awww, poor wittle-ittle Lancey-Lot is all saddy-waddy!” Pidge mocked, sticking their tongue out at him playfully. “I thought you didn’t have a thing for him, so why are you now suddenly heartbroken?!”

 

“H-hey-!”

 

One again, before Lance could continue, his phone buzzed against the table. He didn’t dare look at it for a second, but somehow he had mustered up some willpower to grab his phone and check to see who it was.

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ Haha I’m just joking. _

**_Keith:_ ** _ This is Lance, correct? _

 

“On second thought, that went better than expected.” Pidge snapped back into their normal tone, receiving a quizzical look from Lance who was quite concerned on how they were able to change their mood within a split second.

 

“Well, what can we say?” Hunk smiled sincerely, patting Lance’s shoulder a bit stronger than the last time. “Lance is a naturally flirtatious, not even Shiro has anything on him.”

 

Lance managed a chuckle before sending a quick confirmation text to Keith letting him now that yes it was in fact Lance, smiling and turning to face Hunk and Pidge before feeling his phone, once again, buzz in his hand.

 

Lance had to admit he was quite surprised at the fast response.  _ Was he waiting for me to text back? _ He doubted it, but some part of his mind hoped that it was indeed true. Nevertheless, he looked at the new text message only to feel his jaw drop to the table.

 

Pidge looked over his shoulder to see what Lance had just seen only to slap a hand over their mouth and get up from the table. They completely left the room.

 

Hunk only sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, mumbling something about now the cute moment was ruined and that he was going to continue making the cookies now that the dough has set. He also might have muttered something about his appetite being ruined.

 

And Lance? He just stared at the new message in complete awe, unsure how to even reply.

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ Well I happen to like sausage on my pizza so you’re in luck~ _

 

“Is there a reason why Lance is staring at his phone is complete shock?”

 

Shiro had now walked into the kitchen and stared at Lance with a raised eyebrow, leaning against the countertop while waiting for Hunk to answer. He only just sighed, rolling up his cookie dough before beginning to separate it into tiny, bite sized portions on a baking sheet.

 

“You really don’t want to know, Shiro. You  _ really  _ don’t.”

 

* * *

 

 

“You’ve seem to be very happy recently, Lance. Did something special happen?”

 

Lance looked up from his painting for a brief moment in order to glance over to Allura, who was painting only a couple feet away from him. The two of them were painting out on the balcony  outside the art room after class, something that the two did on a regular basis to unwind from their busy days; Allura from teaching and Lance from attending many classes during the week. It had become a tradition now, and Lance hoped it would one that would last for the entirety of college. Maybe after college even if their friendship managed to survive long enough.

 

Lance shook his head, his gaze returning to the painting while his cheeks said other, immediately turning a deep shade of red.

 

“Not really, just in a happy mood. That’s all.”

 

Allura hummed, “Is that so? Well, alright then ... “ She chuckled, “I suppose I’ll have to believe your word then.”

 

“I suppose you will.” Lance joked, picking up a different paintbrush and dipping it into a bit of paint. “But all jokes aside, have I really seem more happy recently? Or are you just trying to mess with me?”

 

“You know I don’t lie, Lance.” Allura said, and Lance absolutely  _ loved _ the way his name rolled off her tongue. So elegant. “I don’t know how to really explain it, but you’ve just seem more … Chirpier? You seem to smile at your phone a lot, that’s for sure.”

 

“Y-yeah?” Lance laughed nervously, trying his best to maintain his composure. “It’s just the usual, Hunk and Pidge messing around and sending me funny things.”

 

“Funny things, hm?”

 

_ She knows I’m lying. _ Lance thought, biting down on his lower lip. Two could play this game, and Lance wasn’t get to let Allura know in a million- No,  _ Billion _ years that he was texting her friend, Mullet Head Keith. He already had a handful with Pidge teasing him every day when he returned home, and yes. Even if it was only Pidge, they were certainly a handful to deal with and quite frankly, Lance could only really take so much of Pidge’s teasing. It wasn't the normal kind of teasing. It was  _Pidge_ teasing.

 

So, like the idiot he was, Lance was going to continue rolling with it.

 

“Yeah, funny things.” Lance rolled his eyes, keeping his gaze on his painting. 

 

Allura groaned, “Lance. I know you’re hiding something, don’t even try to play any games with me.”

 

Welp. Lance tried, he couldn’t say he didn't.

 

Setting his paint brush aside, Lance turned his body to properly face Allura and wiped his paint-stained hands against his apron. He crossed his arms across his chest and tried his best not to look too embarrassed, though he couldn’t help but his lip lower into a short pout as he stared at his painting.

 

“Fiiiiiiiiine. You caught me.” Lance raised his arms up in defeat, “Caught me red handed, I say! You really can see right through me, can’t you Allura?”

 

“Not really, you’re just too easy to read.” Allura laughed, placing her own brush down and wiping her hands against her apron. She turned to face Lance. “Not only that, you have this certain look to your face when you tend to have something on your mind. It’s … Hold on-”

 

Allura pointed to her face and made a pout with her lips, also furrowing her left eyebrow slightly. She made sure to look into Lance’s eyes before allowing a large, gentle smile to overtake her features, a sympathetic laugh escaping her lips.

 

“-That’s what you do, Lance. I must admit it’s utterly adorable, but it’s something I picked up on from the first few weeks I got to know you.”

 

Lance stared at Allura for a brief moment before letting out a defeated sigh and lacing his arms behind his neck. He stared up at the sky in silence for a moment, debating on how to tell Allura before deciding to just be straightforward with her, not going to give her any bullshit.

 

After all, Allura didn't tease like Pidge. She was someone he could be honest and truthful with.

 

“Well, I might as well tell you the truth straight up. I’m not going to sugarcoat it.” Lance chuckled, “You see … I met some ass who’s somehow managed to slip into my mind and honestly? It’s annoying. When I stare out into space all I think about is him. Him and his stupid haircut that I somehow find attractive. I don’t know how I feel about him in all honestly, a part of me wants to hate him because of what I love about him yet I  _ barely _ know the damn guy!”

 

Lance threw his arms up in the air, this time exasperated. He turned to face Allura and crossed his arms across his chest once more, this time managing to get paint all over his forearms.

 

“I don’t know how to feel about him, I really don’t. Like I said, I just … I just feel so confused when it comes to him. He has a beautiful smile, his handwriting is so damn neat, and  _ damn  _ his laugh is like music to my ears.”

 

Allura stayed silent for a moment, making sure Lance was done with his rant before standing up from her chair, dragging it closer to Lance before sitting down in it again. She wrapped a secure arm around his shoulder before leaning close to him, Lance unaware of the sneaky smile spreading across her lips.

 

“Are you talking about Kei-”

 

_ “No I’m not talking about Keith-!” _ Lance nearly jumped up from his chair, his face now obviously red. “O-oh, I-I mean-!” He began to backtrack, realizing his mistake. “Keith? W-what Keith? I don’t know that mullet head piece o-of work! I … I-I don’t know what you’re talking about-!”

 

Glancing over to Allura, he realized that no matter how much he tried to whittle his way out of it, she wasn’t going to have any of it. He knew all of his attempt would be futile, so in the end, he gave up with slumping his shoulders and hunching over the edge of his seat. A groan left Lance’s lips, and Allura lifted an eyebrow, waiting for Lance to explain himself.

 

“Okay. You got me again. I …  _ May  _ be talking about Keith?”

 

Allura sighed, though she was still smiling. “Not may, Lance. You _ were.” _

 

“Don’t have to tell me.” Lance managed a laugh, “Jeez, you’re too smart for me. Both you and Pidge are just way too smart for me. You two will be the end of me.”

 

“I think you have to worry more about Keith rather than the two of us, Lance.” Allura said, giving his shoulder a quick pat. “Seems like your brain is rather clouded up with … Some happy thoughts.”

 

“They’re making me angry more than happy, though …” Lance grumbled, lifting his head up. “Like why Keith? What’s so special about him? He’s just some pizza delivery boy that happened to be in a sour attitude when he delivered my pizza while I too, happened to be in quite the mood as well.”

 

“Believe it or not, there’s actually quite a bit to Keith than what meets the eye. He’s actually a very interesting person once you get to know him.” Allura said, removing her hand from Lance’s shoulder. “I’m not going to tell you those things, that’s for you to explore at your own pace and for Keith to reveal to you himself, but I think you should really give Keith a chance. He’s … Had it hard. I’ll say that and that only, and I honestly think you’ll bring the best out of him. I may be saying a bit too much here, just don't let Keith know I told you this, but ... He's been thinking about you too, Lance.”

 

Lifting his head to look into Allura’s gaze properly, only to be met with a rather rare serious gaze from Allura. It was rare to see such a look on her face, but he knew she meant business when he saw the intense look in her eyes. She wasn’t lying, that was for sure. Her serious look almost scared Lance at times.

 

Letting out a sigh, Lance stood up from his chair and stretched his arms over his head. He allowed a yawn to escape his lips and he began to clean his mess up, packing his paints away into his bag and placing his brushes into his cup of water.

 

“Well, if you say it then you mean it.” Lance mumbled, grabbing the cup of water that held his dirty brushes. “I’ll …  _ Try _ to be friendly with him, but if the Mullet Head tries to one-up me or tries to argue with me he’s going to never hear the end of it from me.”

 

Allura chuckled, “I suppose that means you’re going to take my advice and treat Keith nicely then?”

 

“That’s one way of putting it. Sure.”

 

“That’s all I need to hear then.” Smiling, Allura stood up from her chair as well and grabbed her dirty brushes. “Now, let’s get cleared up together. We’ve been painting for quite a while and I’m sure we both have numerous of other activities to do before the day is over.”

 

“Activities I’d rather not do.” Lance grumbled, only to have Allura pinch his nose playfully in return.

 

“You’ll do your homework and you’re going to do it when you get home!”

 

“M-mom- I mean,  _ Allura!”  _ Lance groaned, swatting his hand at his nose until Allura unpinched his nose. She laughed, walking into the art room and towards the sinks on the other side.

 

“Oopsie.” Allura teased, “Got paint on your nose.”

 

“Oh  _ come on!” _

 

After cleaning their brushes and Lance cleaned his face and hair (He somehow managed to get paint in his hair, even he can’t explain that one), Lance said his final farewell to Allura and began to make his way off the college campus. The sun was beginning to set, the temperature was just right, and there were a few other students who were either heading to late night classes, their dorm rooms, or heading to their homes off campus. Lance wondered what dorm life was like on a college campus. After all, he lived with his friends in a house nearby instead of going into the cramped dorm rooms. They probably wouldn’t be his kind of thing however, as Lance loves his private time.

 

Lance looked around the campus and smiled, It was fall and leaves were scattered all across the ground in varient different colors, hence why it was his favourite time of year. He couldn’t really explain it, but seeing the piles of leaves that were colored orange, red, green, brown, yellow- Need he say more? Was just absolutely breathtaking and satisfying. Not to mention when they blew around in the gentle breezes. 

 

He duly noted in his mind to paint that image one day. That’s if he could get Keith out of his mind anytime soon, dammit.

 

Speaking of the Mullet Head, Lance couldn’t help but think about what Allura said. He’s had it hard? Lance was genuinely interested on what Allura meant by that, and not only that, how close were Allura and Keith? How far back did they go? He knows he shouldn’t be prying into his private life, not when they were only just acquainted, but somewhere in the back of his mind Lance was really curious to find out more about Keith. Especially if Allura was correct when she said Keith had been thinking about him too.

 

“What am I thinking about ….?” Lance muttered to himself, securing his scarf around his neck. “Once again I’m thinking about that damn Keith.”

 

Funny how Lance was thinking about Keith when someone with a black mullet just walked passed him. Huh. They were wearing quite a bizarre red jacket too. Interesting. And were those fingerless gloves peaking from the jacket sleeves? Fascinating. It’s almost like Keith literally walked passed him on the college campus and Lance was just being completely oblivious. Groundbreaking.

 

_ “HUH?!” _

 

Lance quickly did a 180 and spun around, glaring at Keith who had unquestionably just walked passed him, he too turning around at the sound of Lance’s voice. He pulled his headphones out of his ears and stared at Lance with a semi-shocked expression, quirking one eyebrow up before realizing who he had just walked past.

 

“Oh, Lance.” Keith finally spoke, digging his phone out of his pocket and presumably turning off his music. “I didn’t think I’d see you here at this time.”

 

Lance stayed silent for a moment longer before speaking himself, clearing his throat before doing so.

 

“M-mullet Head?!”  _ God dammit Lance, don’t let your voice crack now buddy. _ “What are you doing here?! You go to college?!”

 

Keith shrugged, “Well, yeah? I mean, I have to get my education one way or another.”

 

“But I thought you just delivered pizzas!” Lance sounded exasperated, taking a step closer to Keith and shoving his hands into his jean pockets. Keith only sighed, crossing his arms across his chest and pouting lightly.

 

“Well yeah, I do deliver pizzas. That’s my part-time job. I do that four times a week so I can pay off the impending student debts that is to come.”

 

“I … See your valid point.” Lance backtracked, sighing. “I used to have a part time job myself but then my homework got too hectic, so I had to quit to save my grades.”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. “What are you majoring in?”

 

“Art.” Lance said, “Also known as I’m just gonna shut myself in my room for a while and paint for a college degree for a few semesters.”

 

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” Keith chuckled, taking a step closer to Lance. “After all …”

 

To his surprise, Keith stepped right in front of him and raised an arm up to his face. Carefully brushing his hand through Lance’s hair, Keith seemed to let his hand linger in one spot in particular before removing his hand from Lance’s messy hair. He took a step back, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips upward.

 

“... Not only you were in the art class, but you have little bits of paint in your hair.”

 

As Keith showed him the dried-up paint fragments from his hair, Lance obviously couldn’t care less about that. All that he was aware of was how damn hot his face was and how hard his heart was beating against his chest. Oh, and that the way Keith ran his hand through his hair felt  _ way  _ too nice for his liking. Not that he didn’t like it- Lance _ loved it _ , he couldn’t deny it.

 

_ What the fuck …?! _ Lance thought in his head, trying to calm himself down with some deep breaths.  _ What the fuck! What! The! Fuck! _

 

“Yeah. You sure are right.”

 

That’s all Lance could say. He didn’t trust his voice right now. He hoped Keith didn’t pick up on his nervousness, and it looked like he did not. Keith shook his head, wiping his hand against his jeans and crossing his arms back across his chest.

 

“Not only you’re a moron but you’re an extremely messy kid. How  _ cute.” _

 

“H-hey! I’m not cute!” Lance snapped out of his trance, frowning. “Not only that, I’m not a kid! I’m a responsible adult who is trying his best in this society to survive and make pretty art! Besides,” Lance pointed a finger towards Keith’s direction, “What are you majoring in, Keithy-Keith?”

 

Keith tilted his head to the right for a short moment before sighing, clearly appalled by Lance’s behavior.

 

“I’m majoring in astronomy. Y’know… Stars and stuff? All that jazz.”

 

Lance lowered his finger, “Astronomy?” He sounded genuinely interested and surprised. “I wouldn’t see you as the kind to be into space and stars. What have you the idea to major in that sort of field?”

 

“It’s …” Keith was about to speak but then shook his head, changing his mind. “It’s nothing. Just a silly story from when I was a child, that’s all. A moron like you wouldn’t understand.”

 

“Come on!” Lance groaned, “I’m not that stupid as you think, Keith! Believe it or not, I'm actually one hundred percent interested in why you decided to major in astronomy. I may seem like a jokester most of the time, which I am, but this time I’m being serious!”

 

Frowning, Lance furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms across his chest, mimicking Keith. He didn’t know what was going to work to get his point across to Keith that he was honest about wanting to know why he was majoring in astronomy, but he knew nothing would work in the end. After all, Keith would forever have the impression of Lance being a complete idiot because of how they met, correct? It only seemed right.

 

_ Ah. So this is what karma feels like.  _ Lance thought, frowning even more.  _ Hello darkness my old friend, I tried to talk to someone I whom I want my relationship to mend. _

 

“Did you …?”

 

Suddenly, Keith interrupted his deep, sorrowful thinking. Lance lifted his gaze to meet Keith’s, continuing to pout as Keith continued to talk.

 

A smirk overcame Keith’s lips.

 

“... You called me Keith. You called me by my first name without using a nickname, didn’t you?”

 

Lance didn’t realize he didn’t use a nickname for Keith, even surprising himself though he only just realized it. Once more, his face began an instant volcano and this time he couldn’t hide the fact that he wash blushing, deciding that the best thing to do was to … 

 

_ Retaliate. _

 

“NO-!” Lance yelled, shocking Keith. “I didn’t just call you by your first name, Sir Pizza Delivery Man Mullet-Head Emo Chemical Romance eat a dick  _ dude!” _

 

“Oh, trust me.” Keith’s smirk only grew across his face and Lance internally cursed. “I may have never ate a dick before, but I’ve certainly had my mouth full of them before. It’s not bad, so I’ll gladly accept that offer.”

 

_ “What the hell?!” _ Lance nearly screamed, covering his mouth just in time. “You can’t just announce that shit all over the campus! What the actual hell?!”

 

“I didn’t announce it, I just bluntly said it.” Keith pursed his lips, shaking his head. “Anyways, back to the point. I’m going to go ahead and just confirm that you, so far, are being honest with me when you call me by my first name, correct?”

 

It took a moment for Lance to regain at least part of his composure before nodding his head slowly, slapping his cheeks in an attempt to calm down the redness spreading across his cheeks before Keith chuckled.

 

“Okay. I think I’m beginning to understand you a bit more,  _ Lancelot.”  _ Keith whispered, and finally a kind smile spread across his face, like the one Lance saw when he apologized to Keith. Lance was beginning to think seeing that smile was a rarity of it’s own, but his heart? It could only take so much more right now.

 

“I see you’re jumping onto the nickname bandwagon now, Mullet.” Lance managed a smile of his own, though it was quite wobbly. “What does that make us now?”

 

Keith thought for a moment, placing a finger to his chin. “Hm … I think that makes us acquaintances that argue way too much to be friends?”

 

“Sure, I’ll accept that for now.” Lance chuckled, “It’s better than being on your hit list.”

 

“... I’ll be sure to cross your name off that list when I get back to my dorm room.”

 

“Ouch. Harsh, man.  _ Harsh.” _

 

Keith laughed and once again Lance felt his heart soar at a million miles per hour. Lance no longer could deny it; Keith had the most wonderful laugh in the world and he will do  _ anything  _ to hear it. He  _ wanted _ to hear it. If he could wake up to that laugh then his life would be complete in all honesty. Is that too much to wish for?

 

_ That’s pretty gay, Lance.  _ He thought, his cheeks once again turning red.  _ Way too gay. Take it down a notch and get to the friendship first _ . 

 

“Don’t worry, I never really thought anything  _ that _ bad about you.” Keith said, “Sure you were a giant douche with a big ego at first, but you owned up to it and that makes you a somewhat good person in my books.”

 

“Only somewhat?” Lance frowned, “Come on, man. What will it take for me to get past the somewhat stage? Is there a way because I’m willing to do it!”

 

Keith thought for a moment, “Hm…” After a couple of seconds, he raised an eyebrow at Lance. “Can’t really say for sure, but how about we hang out a bit more so I can form a better opinion on you? I don’t think texting each other every once in awhile will improve our relationship.”

 

“Y-you … Want to hang out with me?” Lance’s voice trembled, surprised that Keith even wanted to pursue a friendship with him. He was pretty sure Keith was just messing with him. “You’re not kidding right? You’re not gonna pull some prank on me, right? You genuinely want to hang out with me and get to know me better? For real?”

 

Lance hated the way his voice began to tremble, and he mentally slapped himself for becoming so vulnerable all of a sudden.  _ Why the hell am I becoming so damn emotional over this? _ He groaned internally, trying to take a couple of deep breaths in order to calm himself down. It wasn’t often he got himself so worked up over a person before, but Keith? Out of all people? Maybe he was just tired.  

 

However, instead of backing away or questioning Lance’s sudden insecurity, Keith took a step closer to Lane and placed a hand on his shoulder. Lance glanced up to not see a mocking smile, but a carefully, understanding yet playful smirk that calmed Lance’s heart down almost all the way.

 

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t give my cell phone number out just randomly or to everyone I make eye contact with. Why did you think I wrote it in the pizza box? Why do you think I delivered that pizza the second time? I  _ wanted _ to see you and apologize, Lance. Do … Do you understand now?”

 

It took a moment for Lance to process what Keith said, but once he fully understood, he let out a relieved sigh and allowed a smile to spread across his face. One thing was for sure, Keith was definitely going to be the end of him. Resistance was futile.

 

“Yeah sure, Mullet Head.” Lance chuckled, “I have to say though, seeing you be all serious and sentimental doesn’t really fit your attitude. It’s almost scary.”

 

“Wow, way to ruin the mood.” Keith shook his head but let out a laugh himself, taking a step back and removing his hand from Lance’s shoulder. “I have my moments, just you wait and see. I’m not only a walking Mullet Head-”

 

_ “Ahah!” _ Lance shouted, pointing at Keith suddenly. “You admit you are a Mullet Head! I win!”

 

“Yep. The mood is definitely  ruined _.  _ Marvelous”

 

Lance laughed, letting out one big whoop before crossing his arms across his chest. “Well let’s not care about that. When are you next free man?”

 

Keith seemed to be slightly taken back that Lance was asking when he was next free, a hand moving to cover his mouth as Lance noticed a soft red that began to spread across his cheeks. The red was almost as bright as his jacket, and Lance made a mental note in his head to wear that jacket one day. Maybe Keith would wear his, though he knew already his own jacket would be a tad too big for Keith’s figure.

 

_ Once again, Lance. Slow. Down. You can imagine, just don’t wish. _

 

“I’m … Free on Sunday.” Keith finally spoke, removing his hand from his mouth. “I don’t have any classes or work so I have the whole day to do anything you please.”

 

Lance smiled, “Oh, that’s great! I have a morning class, but then I have the whole afternoon to myself. You can come over then.”

 

“Oh, great.” Keith managed a small grin, “So … Sunday then?”

 

“Sunday.”

 

Lance and Keith stared at each other before Keith interrupted the silence, clearing his throat and jabbing his thumb behind him.

 

“So … I have a class to attend right now.”

 

“Ah …” Lance shrugged, “I see.”

 

Keith paused for a moment, then continued.

 

“... So I’ll see you Sunday? At noon? Your house?”

 

Lance nodded, “Yeah. Sunday. At noon.”

 

“Great. Cool. Neat.” Keith took a step back and stopped, raising a hand a waving. “So … Bye?”

 

“Yeah.” Lance raised his hand as well, awkwardly waving back. “See ya, Mullet Head.”

 

Keith shook his head, chuckling and turning around and beginning to walk away. Lance stood there for a brief moment before shaking his own head as well and allowing a wide grin to spread across his face. He admits that he may have glanced behind him to look a Keith (Not his butt- Not yet, anyways) until he walked off into a building, an unexpected sigh leaving his lips once he did. Securing the scarf across his neck, Lance began to wake his way back to his home and soon walked off the college campus.

 

Lance had to admit he was looking forward to Sunday, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Keith … Well, he would either have to clean his room in a span of a few days or keep him out, and there was no way he was going to see that painting. Never ever. He’ll just keep Keith out of his room no matter how much effort that took.

 

Either way, Lance knew one thing about the next time he saw Keith.

 

He was going to have a sweet victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little hint at the end to what will happen next chapter, ohoho~
> 
> The next chapter will be in Keith's perspective so we'll finally see what he thinks about Lance! I'll always state which chapters will be in Lance or Keith's perspective as I'm going to be switching from the two of them.
> 
> Anywho, thank you so much for reading this far! I read all your comments and I want to thank those who give kudos, read this, and message me on my tumblr! You guys are the best ^-^
> 
>  
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins


	5. Sweet Yet Still Cheesy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith thinks about his feelings towards Lance while going into what he hopes isn't a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent the last few days powering through writing this while trying not to die from the heat lol. I really wanted to get his out before I go back to my classes^^
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the long chapter! It's about... 2k more words than what I'm used to but it's full of Klance interactions and Keith's thoughts. The whole chapter is in Keiths' POV.
> 
> Thanks for reading as always!

If you asked Keith a few weeks prior to meeting Lance if he believed in soul mates, he would have shook his head and called it bullshit.

 

But now, he couldn’t help but believe it just a little in the back of his heart that soul mates were actually possible. Just a little though, not completely. In all honesty, he couldn’t wrap his head around Lance entirely yet as there were a lot of …  _ Factors _ , as par say, that come into his head when he did catch himself thinking about the annoying Pizza-Loving guy.

 

Keith had to admit when he first saw Lance he was quite taken aback- Not because the man had mistaken him as a woman and attempted to flirt with quite a horrible pizza pun (In his opinion), but how suave and fluid he delivered his shitty joke with such a handsome smile on his face. He was already admittedly gay and weak to men, but he never knew he was weak to puns and crooked half-assed smiles. Not to mention brown eyes. How on earth were Lance’s eyes so attractive and beautiful at the same time?

 

There were three things Keith discovered that night when he delivered his pizza to the house of Lance McClain and his friends. One, his attitude was quite sour. Two, pizza puns are funny, especially coming from Lance. And three- Fuck, he’s gay for the Pizza Boy.

 

Keith had no idea why he was attracted to Lance out of all people. He seemed like the messiest, laziest person in the whole entire world whose life revolved around loafing around making silly jokes for his own entertainment. Not to mention this man seemed straight as a needle, like straight as  _ hell. _ After all, he got mad over the fact that Keith wasn’t a girl, so that meant he was only into girls, right?

 

Actually, Lance got mad after Keith began to have a go at him. And Keith felt himself get mad because the person he was attractive to was, of course, presumably not into men.

 

After leaving the house, Keith rode back to Galra’s Pizza with the feeling of regret pooling into his stomach. He felt like utter shit, and he couldn’t focus for the rest of his shift knowing that he had just teased and humiliated Lance in front of all his friends. Not only he took out his anger on him, but it seemed like Lance absolutely wanted to kill his whole entire being. That’s definitely the way Keith wanted to start this crush- Even if it was one he didn’t want to have in the first place.

 

So for days, Keith spent his nights thinking about Lance, thinking how on earth he felt about him and what kind of opinion he now had about him permanently. There was no way in hell Lance was going to forget him, especially if he gave him several different nicknames on the spot, one being about his hair. Those oddly specific nicknames would be the end of Keith and he knew it; He ultimately fucked up big time.

 

So when he received an order around a week later to deliver yet another pizza to the same exact house where Lance lived, Keith was nervous as  _ fuck. _

 

Many thoughts began to circulate through Keith’s mind, and yes. They were all related to Lance.  _ What if it’s Lance that ordered the pizza? Will he recognize me? Will he should at me again? What if he shoves the pizza into my face and tells me to fuck off?! I don’t want that! _

 

Despite his thoughts, that didn’t stop him from grabbing the nearest sharpie and writing his name and number on the inside of the pizza box or volunteering himself to deliver the pizza. 

 

When he arrived at the house and walked up to the doorstep, Keith wasn’t expecting Lance to be rambling to himself loudly. Did Lance even realize himself that he was shouting at the top of his lungs? Keith couldn’t help but press his ear to the door to have a proper listen, and a chuckle left his lips as he realized Lance was rambling about him. It … Was quite cute in Keith’s opinion, and he felt a burst of excitement spread through his chest at the realization that Lance was thinking about him. Even if it happened to be negative.

 

As Keith heard footsteps come closer to the door, he quickly stepped away from the door and took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself. Did Lance know he was here? He mustn't had because he didn’t open the door, so Keith just had a little more time to change his mind on this. He could, in all honesty, just leave the pizza on the doorstep and call it a day, leaving Lance to it and never see him again. It probably would be the better solution to this point. But despite him wanting to leave, his legs wouldn’t let him.

 

And for some odd reason, that left Keith feeling quite … Bitter.

 

So when Lance opened that door muttering something about leaving his tip on the doorstep and not wanting to see him, Keith let his mouth take over.

 

“See  _ who _ now? Your  _ date?” _

 

_ Nice one, asshole.  _ Keith thought to himself.  _ Nice fucking job. _

 

As much as Keith regretting saying that to Lance, the look on his face was absolutely priceless. It was as if the life had drained out of Lance and he kept looking up, down, left and right to see if this was some kind of prank.

 

And of course Keith found it cute. Every single reaction Lance had was cute. And he couldn’t even begin to explain what emotion he felt when he realized his cheeks were stained a bright red out of embarrassment.

 

Unfortunately, the cute moment didn’t last very long until Lance broke his composure and began to fire at Keith himself, the two once again bickering about nonsense. He knew in the back of his head it would turn out this way, yet a part of his mind hoped and prayed that it would have turned out different, that Lance would apologize or something or he would be the one to instigate the apology. But no- Keith, once again, lost his composure and triggered yet again a heated argument between the two.

 

Keith was about to walk away from the whole situation and leave it behind when Lance began to apologize. And he was being completely genuine, Keith was very good at reading people and he could easily read on Lance’s face that he was being truthful in his apology. So Keith accepted it, happy to know that Lance had been feeling the same exact way about the situation and that he wanted to apologize as well for his behavior.

 

When Keith returned to his dorm room that night, the sudden realization hit him of all of Lance’s movements, smiles, laughter, appearance, and of course his horrible pizza pun which he seemed to be fond of hit him like a tidal wave. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest and Keith groaned at the feeling of his face heating up, immediately shoving his face into his pillow and deciding to call it a night.

 

He didn't want to fall for Lance, he really didn’t. But he knew his heart was going against his thoughts at this point and he should just accept the fact that he absolutely adored Lance as a human.

 

So when Lance invited him over to his house, Keith’s heart practically began to do flips in his chest. He was absolutely excited.

 

He awoke that morning, grabbed some clothes and went to the showers in order to get ready. He knew where Lance lived and he knew it wasn’t that far from the college campus, but Keith didn’t want to make a complete fool out of himself and show up late. Heaven knows how much Lance would tease him for that.

 

After making sure he was somewhat presentable, he sent a quick text to Lance to confirm when to come over. He decided while waiting around to clean up his dorm room as it had gotten quite messy and he preferred to keep things in an organized manner. Luckily, Lance texted him back right when he had finished tidying up his textbooks.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ I’m nearly home now. You can come over now if you want, just let yourself into the house. _

 

Keith double checked to make sure he had everything before heading out, not bothering to ride his motorcycle seeing as it was only a few minutes away from the campus. He wasn’t going to lie, he felt quite nervous visiting Lance’s house as a guest now rather than a working man. It felt … Different, if not more gripping. Finally being able to get to know Lance on a more personally matter exciting him more than ever, but it also scared him knowing that the two were beginning to grow closer, and Keith knew his attraction to him was only going to grow as well.

 

In all honesty, Keith was just happy to accept it and let it happen. If he was going to end up heartbroken then let him. And if it somehow worked out, then … Well, he’ll see from there.

 

When the all now too familiar house eventually came into view, Keith sucked in a deep breath before walking up the driveway towards the front door. He’s been to this house numerous of times before, even  _ prior _ to meeting to Lance. In fact, there was someone in this house he was all too familiar with. And he could hear their loud, obnoxious laughter the night he met Lance delivering pizzas.

 

So when he opened the front door to let himself in, he wasn’t surprised to see that certain someone sitting on the sofa playing video games. They turned their head and immediately smiled, placing the controller down and giving Keith a quick wave.

 

“Yo, Keith!” Pidge exclaimed, turning around more properly and leaning against the sofa. “I have to say, I’m quite surprised to see you here!”

 

“Well, I’m surprisingly not here to see you for once.” He chuckled, closing the door behind himself. “I’m actually here to see the Pizza Boy.”

 

“Pizza Boy?” Pidge thought for a moment, “Oh-! You mean Lance, correct?”

 

Keith nodded, and Pidge let out a laugh.

 

“Out of all the people I thought Lance would be friendly with,  _ you?!”  _ They laughed again, falling back onto the sofa. “Oh man! This is the best yet most shocking thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life! Am I dreaming?! Is this really happening?!”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, “Believe it or not, kiddo. You’re not dreaming.” He pouted, walking towards Pidge. “And besides, we’re not friends. We argue far too much in order to qualify as friends, so … Just think of us as a kind of rival sort of thing?”

 

Messing up Pidge’s hair, Keith felt a soft smile spread across his lips but quickly replaced it once Pidge let out a yelp and sat up to stare at him. Instead, he pursed his lips and crossed his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow and staring down at Pidge’s now messy hair feeling quite accomplished.

 

“Well, rival or not, you’ve managed to get somewhat friendly with Lance and I honestly thought you two would end up murdering each other.” Pidge shrugged, “I mean, you two nearly did the night you delivered pizza.” They winked, a grin growing across their face. “... Well, I  _ might _ have set you two up-”

 

“What?! _ ”  _ Keith was startled, taking a sudden step back. “What do you mean you set us up?!”

 

Pidge shrugged again, grabbing the game controller once more and resuming to their previous gaming.

 

“That, my dude … Is a story for another time, when you two are ready to hear it.”

 

Keith groaned, deciding to keep his mouth shut for the time being instead of attempting to pressure Pidge into telling him what they meant. Whatever it meant, they were obviously planning something and he didn’t know how to feel about it. In the end, he’s just going to have to shove that thought into the back of his mind and move on for the time being.

 

Shaking his head, Keith uncrossed his arms and shoved them into his pant’s pockets.

 

“Where’s Lance anyways? Is he back from college yet?”

 

Pidge nodded, their eyes glued onto the screen. “Yeah, he’s back. Though he wanted to take a shower before you came. He’s probably still in, so feel free to venture around the house of something.”

 

“Anywhere?” Keith raised an eyebrow again and began to make his way up the stairs. Pidge paused their game for the last time and turned to face Keith, their glasses gleaming in the light and a smirk, once again, growing across their lips.

 

_ “Anywhere, _ my dude. Our home is your home.”

 

Keith couldn’t help but allow the smallest of kind smiles to spread across his lips before venturing up the stairs, Pidge obviously returning to their video game. He couldn’t help but feel happy what Pidge had said, knowing that this was his second home.

 

Well, if he didn’t have a dorm room, it would probably be his main home.

 

Walking up to the top of the stairs, Keith stopped and looked around. It looked like the upper floor just consisted of bedrooms, he knew there were four bedrooms in the house and Shiro’s was downstairs. That meant that Pidge, Hunk, and Lance’s were all upstairs, it was a game of who’s room was whose.

 

Pidge’s room was the most obvious out of the three of them. On the door, there was a sign taped against it that read  _ ‘Do not enter unless this tall!’ _ , then marking the exact height of Pidge. They used to be quite insecure about their height, Keith remembered, but now they always joked about how short they were. 

 

Hunk’s room was next to Pidge’s to the left, his door not really having in particular on it. It was painted a white, but he could tell that on the doorknob was a spoon and fork hanging from a string. He right away knew that had to be down to his love of cooking, but it could also be Pidge messing around and deciding to place them there. It was one of the two, that’s for sure.

 

That left with the light blue door to the right, on the other side of the stairs. This door felt quite outdated like the other two surprisingly, the paint job seeming to be chipping away and some cracks spread across various places. Keith was surprised to discover this was Lance’s room, and he thought it would be … Colorful, or artistic at the least. It surprised him, it didn’t exactly scream Lance to him.

 

Another thing Keith noticed was the fact that Lance’s room was the only bedroom with a keyhole, assuming that it could be locked and unlocked. He didn’t know why, but Keith made a mental note in his head to remember that. Just in case.

 

Waking up to the door, Keith placed his hand on the handle and began to turn it, wondering what Lance’s room looked like.

 

_ “-YOU CAN DANCE!” _

 

Keith immediately took his hand off the handle and turned his body completely around, facing a door which he quickly found out that lead to the bathroom.

 

_ “YOU CAN JIVE!” _

 

Well, what  _ actually _ gave it away was Lance’s horrible singing. He was singing in the shower, and Keith didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

 

Instead, he shoved his ear against the door and began to listen.

 

_ “SEE THAT GIRL!”  _ Lance paused for a few seconds, “ _ WATCH AND SEE-” _ Another short pause. “ _ DIG IN THE DANCING QUEEEEEN!” _

 

Keith pressed his lips together, trying his best to contain his laughter.  _ Ah, _ He thought.  _ This is the man my dumb ass decided to fall for. Real nice. A real charmer, I see. _

 

Lance continued to velt out the lyrics to Dancing Queen while, of course, showering. Keith had to get the image out of his head fast at the thought of just imagining Lance showering, so instead he just focused on his horrible singing voice. He also focused on trying his best to not let his laughter get the best of him, because he was damn sure that everyone in this house could hear it. Maybe even the neighbors it was that loud.

 

_ “YOU ARE THE DANCING QUEEN, YOUNG AND SWEET- Fuck!” _ Lance’s voice cracked and he stopped for a moment before beginning to belch out the lyrics once more.  _ “ONLY SEVENTEEEEEEEEN!” _

 

Keith couldn’t hold his laughter anymore, and he suddenly found himself slumped against the door holding onto his stomach. He couldn’t believe it, Lance’s terrible yet somehow amusing singing managed to get Keith in a laughing state he didn’t think was possible. He didn’t care if anyone heared him, he had to get it out of him.

 

Unfortunately for Keith, because of his own laughter, he didn’t hear the shower water turn off nor the sound of feet hitting the bathroom floor.

 

Because the next second, Keith felt the door behind him over and he fell onto his back, staring straight up into an angry Lance.

 

However, as soon as Keith’s eyes locked onto Lance, Lance’s angry look quickly dissipated into a look of pure shock. Despite his cheeks already being quite red from his shower, a new deeper hue of redness began to spread from the apples of his cheeks to the tips of his ears while Lance’s mouth opened and closed yet no words formed.

 

Keith just stared at Lance in awe, admiring how attractive his hair looked damp yet all over the place and holy  _ shit _ he had a good body, how in the hell did he have a good body. He couldn’t look away from his body, it took him a solid few seconds to fix his gaze back onto Lance’s eyes instead of his golden, tan abs. Strange how the air felt hot now, or that could just be from the shower.

 

Deciding to break the silence, Keith cleared his throat and put a smirk onto his lips.

 

“So … Had fun singing your little heart out in the shower, ABBA Boy?”

 

Perhaps that was the wrong set of words to use. Because the next moment, Lance slammed the door against Keith head and began to scream in the bathroom. Most of it unintelligible, as Keith immediately realized Lance was ranting in spanish.

 

_ “Qué mierda?!” _ Lance screamed,  _ “Qué mierda?! No, no, no! Porqué a mi?! Porqué?!” _

 

Keith couldn’t help but laugh even more now despite his head feeling like a goddamn rock just fell on top of his head, standing up from the floor and leaning back against the wall beside Lance’s door. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to wait there long before an angry Lance opened the door once again, giving Keith the death eye before proceeding to angrily stomp his way towards his room.

 

“You fucking  _ asshole _ what the fuck?!” Lance opened his bedroom door and stepped in, giving Keith another death stare. “You speak to anyone, and I mean  _ ANYONE _ about this and I will shove a cactus up your sorry ass!”

 

Lance shoved a shaking finger towards Keith’s direction before retracting it, slamming his bedroom door.

 

_ “I MEAN IT, MULLET HEAD!” _

 

Keith stared at Lance’s door for a while in complete and utter shock before hearing a set of footsteps coming from the stairs. He turned only to see Shiro standing there with a smirk on his lips, his arms crossed across his chest and an eyebrow quirked up in interest.

 

“So …” Shiro couldn’t hide the amusement in his tone, “Did Lance give you the whole shoving a cactus up your ass scheme?”

 

Keith sighed, walking towards Shiro and nodding his head. “How could you not hear it?”

 

Making his way down the stairs, Keith noticed that Shiro followed him a few steps behind before clearing his throat again, a smirk still across his lips.

 

“Was is worth it?” Shiro asked, and Keith felt his cheeks heat up as he made it down the stairs and bolted to the living room.

 

“... Yes.”

 

* * *

 

 

It took Lance around twenty minutes to come down the stairs fully clothed and dry, Keith just happened to count the minutes that went by. He was glad to see that Lance was no longer livid or extremely angry, but instead a very clear pout on his lips as he walked towards the sofa where Keith and Pidge sat.

 

“Dude, the fuck?!” Lance exclaimed, sounding exasperated. “Who gave you the right to just laugh and sit behind the bathroom door like a fucking creep?!”

 

Keith pointed to Pidge beside them, “They did.”

 

“They  _ WHAT?!” _  Lance stomped his way in front of Pidge, blocking their view of the TV. “What the fuck you gremlin?! Who gave you the right the let Mullet prance his way up to my private, happy domain?!”

 

Pidge groaned, leaning to the side in order to look at the TV screen, clearly unamused, “I just told him he could walk around the house since you were in the shower. I didn’t know he would hear your horrible singing like everyone else could in the house and happen to find it amusing. Can’t blame me for anything, Lancie.”

 

“Yeah. Sure.” Lance rolled his eyes, his gaze returning to Keith and softening a bit. “Come one, you don’t want to socialize with the small one here. They’ll give you ideas which are evil and sadistic, and I don’t want those tendencies to rub off onto you as much as I already hate you right now.”

 

Pidge paused their video game and placed the controller on their lap, glancing over to Keith with an all too obvious knowing look. Keith sat on the sofa with his arms crossed while looking over to Pidge as well, meeting their gaze for a moment before looking back over to Lance with a grin on his own face.

 

“Hate to break it to you,  _ Lancie.” _ Keith stole Pidge’s nickname for emphasis, “But I actually know this person you call a gremlin quite well.”

 

“ _ Very _ well.” Pidge added, a sly smirk on their own lips.

 

“W-what …?” Lance paled and his arms fell to his sides, “... What do you … Mean?”

 

Keith snickered, placing an arm around Pidge’s shoulders and pulling them close to his body. They mirrored him, placing an arm around his shoulders and matching his grin.

 

“Oh, Lance.” Pidge boasted, “We’re actually quite the friends.”

 

_ “Best  _ friends.” Keith added.

 

"BFF's. Best. friends.  _Forever and ever and ever."_

 

Lance stared at the two for a minute before letting out a yell, running a hand through his hair.

 

“Oh  _ hell no!” _ He pointed at Keith, then at Pidge. “You two-?!” His mouth opened and closed for a moment, “This can’t be happening, please tell me this can’t be happening! You two can’t be friends, right?!”

 

“Believe it, Lance. Get past stage one.” Pidge laughed, shaking their head. “We’ve known each other for … Around two years now, right?”

 

Keith nodded, “Maybe longer.”

 

“What the fuck?!” Lance ran both of his hands through his hair now, “What the  _ fuck?! _ First Keith listening to my private performance and being a gigantic pervert, but now I find out you two have been friends ever since the start of college?!”

 

“That’s basically the rundown, yes.” Pidge replied, their tone as plain as ever.

 

Lance stared down at the two with a look of utter betrayal before shaking his head slowly, walking away from the scene and proceeding to make his way towards the kitchen.

 

“I can’t deal with this right now. Not right now.” He muttered, “I’m just gonna go get the stuff ready and cool down before I blow a fuse.”

 

Keith stared at Lance as he left the living room, now starting to feel slightly bad for teasing Lance. He admittedly thought in his head that he did in fact go a bit too far, and perhaps he should cool it down for the rest of the visit. After all, he was here to become friends with Lance, not have him tear every bone out of his body in pure anger.

 

Sighing, Keith stood up from the sofa and stretched his arms up in the air. He glanced down at Pidge and managed a small smirk, he himself deciding to follow Lance.

 

“I’ll catch up with you later, small fry. You enjoy your video game or whatever you’re doing.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Pidge snorted, “Just don’t die in there, okay? I know what he’s up to, but I won’t spoil it for you.”

 

“Will I die in there?” Keith joked, only to have Pidge glance at him unknowingly.

 

“... It depends. Just depends on your actions.”

 

In all honestly, that didn’t make Keith feel better at all. It only made him feel nervous on what was to come. What was Lance planning? Some sort of buddy initiation of some sorts? Whatever it was, Keith knew it was something Lance-adjacent and he shouldn’t expect it to be something normal.

 

Walking into the kitchen, Keith was greeted by the sight of Lance rummaging through the fridge and pulling various items out of it. Eggs, milk, chocolate chips, and many other items Keith couldn’t exactly see began to spread across the counter and soon Lance was reaching up into the pantry to grab flour, baking soda, and various items. Keith decided to keep his distance for now, but he began to connect the pieces together in his mind and finally discovered what Lance was planning.

 

“... Are we baking?”

 

Lance turned around and placed his hands onto his hips, smiling. 

 

“Yup!” He announced, flashing Keith a brilliant smile. “We’re going to bake a whole assortment of items today, Mullet Head! Cookies, cupcakes, pies- You name it!”

 

Keith frowned, “Is this what you were planning all along when you invited me over?”

 

“Yup. I do it every time I meet someone new and want to get to know them better.” Lance pursed his lips, “Just think of it as a test kind of thing, Keithy. I just want to test your limits and such and so how you fare in an environment that I enjoy being in.”

 

_ More like you’re trying to see if I can fit into your housewive routine.  _ Keith thought to himself, though not saying that outloud. He didn’t really want to see Lance’s reaction to that statement, not right now.

 

Lance finished getting the materials ready by grabbing measuring cups and bowls, placing them down onto the counter before grabbing a few aprons hanging on the wall and tossing one to Keith. Keith caught in midair and pulled it over his head, tieing the back of it and turning to face Lance to see him doing the same exact thing. Lance clasped his hands together, clearly happy now that he seemed to be in his element.

 

“Alright! Let’s start with some easy cookies, shall we!”

 

“Hold up-” Keith reached into the back of his jean pockets and fished out a hair tie, beginning to run his fingers through his hair. “If we’re going to be doing some heavy duty work, I gotta get the Mullet out of the way.”

 

Lance chuckled, “I see you’re starting to get into it.”

 

“I never once rejected the idea, did I?” Keith raised an eyebrow, “Whatever. I’m going to kick your ass even at baking.”

 

As Keith tied his hair back, he couldn’t help but notice the small glances Lance made towards his direction, clearly trying to focus on the ingredients but, of course, managing to sneak a few looks. Keith caught him and Lance bit down on his lower lip, looking away in shame and running a hand through his hair.

 

Keith laughed softly, walking over to Lance and leaning against the counter.

 

“Like what you see, Lancelot?”

 

Lance looked away even more, “Shut up. Let’s get baking.”

 

“Sure. Pass me a bowl, hot head.”

 

After Lance reluctantly passed him a bowl, Keith began to throw ingredients together willy nilly. It was silent for the first few minutes, but eventually Lance began to speak up and guide Keith carefully and patiently on what to do. Keith was glad that the silence was broke, as he had no idea on what to do when it came to baking. All he was used to was horrible microwaved meals.

 

“So …” Keith’s hand hovered over the eggs, pausing. “How many eggs do I need?”

 

Lance laughed, “You only need one for cookies, Keith.”

 

“Really? Only one?” Keith raised an eyebrow and grabbed an egg, cracking it over the mix. Lance nodded, grabbing the eggshells from Keith and tossing it into the sink behind them.

 

“Yeah, it’s more of a stiff mix so it needs less. In cake mix or cupcake mix, you need more eggs as the mixture is more soft. That's what I'm guessing, anyways. I love baking but I'm no expert.”

 

“Ah … I see.” Keith nodded his head at the new information. “I feel enlightened by your knowledge, oh wise idiot.”

 

“I don’t think you can use wise and idiot in the same sentence, dumbass.” Lance shook his head though there was a wide smirk present on his lips. “I feel like you’re contradicting yourself there, so which one am I?”

 

Keith thought for a moment before smiling himself, grabbing a spoon and beginning to mix the ingredients together.

 

“An idiot, of course.”

 

“Right, I should have already known.”

 

The two laughed and proceeded to prepare the cookie dough batter, making pleasant small talk along the whole way. After Keith had fully prepared the batter, Lance grabbed small handfuls of the batter and placed them onto a cooking sheet. He placed it into the oven and set a timer on for around ten minutes, clasping his hands together and turning around to face Keith.

 

“Cookies- Check!” Lance smiled, grabbing a new clean bowl. “Now onto the next recipe! Cupcakes!”

 

Keith smiled, feeling his heart skip a beat at the sight of Lance being genuinely happy. He could get used to seeing Lance like this if he had to be honest with himself, seeing Lance all pissed off and moody just didn’t seem like him. Yet again, Keith couldn’t help but think he too liked the competitive side of Lance. Merging the two sides together actually made a whole lot more sense, and it what made Lance seem more … Lance.

 

While trapped in his inner thoughts, Keith noticed something in the corner of his eye and felt his body react before his mind could even process what he was doing.

 

“Oh, hang on-”

 

Keith reached out towards Lance’s face and wiped of a bit of batter which had somehow smudged across Lance’s cheek, bringing his finger to his mouth and licking it off. Lance stared at him for a moment before his face became all red, stutters coming from his mouth but no words.

 

Smirking, Keith rubbed his finger against his apron and continued to stare Lance down despite his own redness spreading across the apples of his cheeks.

 

“You had quite a small mess on your face,” Keith spoke lowly, “So I decided to clean it up for you.”

 

Lance remained silent for another minute before sucking in a deep breath, his gaze shifting towards the ingredients and his hands frantically beginning to grab them.

 

“W-well, thank you very much.” Lance’s voice shook, “How very nice and kind of you, oh sir Keith.”

 

Keith chuckled, “The pleasure is all mine.”

 

“Ew. Don’t use that word.”

 

“What?  _ Mine?” _

 

Lance rolled his eyes, “Yeah, totally. You understand me soooooo well.”

 

“I know a lot more about you thank you think, Lover Boy.” Keith teased, grabbing the flour and pouring some into a measuring cup. “Go on, ask me. I bet I know something about you that even you don’t.”

 

“Alright then, prove it.” Lance stood up and placed a hand on his hip, looking over to Keith with a somewhat interested expression while Keith continued to pour ingredients into his measuring cup. He thought for a while and pondered before speaking up again, his eyes still focused on the baking.

 

“When you get aggravated or extremely flustered, you run a hand through your hair.” Keith said, “Either that or your rub it behind your neck while you gaze casts onto the ground.”

 

“R-really?” Lance stuttered, a nervous laugh escaping his lips as he handed Keith an egg. “I guess I didn’t know about that. It’s sorta nice to know.”

 

“Mm.” Keith hummed, turning to face Lance. “And you know what else?”

 

“What?”

 

Keith felt a genuine smile tug the corners of his lips upward and he let go of the bowl and spoon, turning to face Lance properly. Lance stared at him with an eyebrow furrowed, Keith finding his expression somewhat adorable, and before he knew it, his body and voice acted before his brain could even process what he was about to say.

 

“It’s really cute, Lance.” 

 

Keith raised his hand and ran it through Lance’s hair, and Lance let out a soft gasp. His cheeks once again stained a bright red while Keith kept his hand there for a couple of seconds, enjoying the softness that brushed against his fingertips.

 

“A-ah.” He quickly pulled away once he realized what he was doing, “Sorry, you had a bit of flour or something in you hair. Just like the other day with the paint.”

 

The room felt strangely hot now to Keith and he turned to face the mixing bowl as he attempted to focus on the task at hand. Why was he so damn nervous all of a sudden? Why did Lance’s presence suddenly become more noticeable after Keith mentioned how Lance get flustered or aggravated? Why was his soft hair so damn addicting? Keith didn’t really want to mentally note that he  _ might _ have a hair kink, but for now he’ll just blame Lance.

 

Attempting to clear the awkward silence, Keith picked up the spoon and began to mix the ingredients together once more. A chuckle fell from his lips and he knew Lance was probably staring at him like some lovestruck idiot, or at least he hoped he was.

 

“What? Cat got your tongue, ABBA Boy? Or are you just too flustered and worked up to speak now?”

 

Keith immediately regretted letting his mouth get the better of him, because the next moment he felt something crack on top of his head and something wet yet slightly slip begin to drip down his scalp. He felt his hand stiffen and his hand tighten against the bowl, and slowly letting go of the spoon, Keith raised his hand up to the top of his head to touch whatever had just cracked.

 

His hand immediately touched something cold and wet, not to mention sticky which said thing was now getting all in his hair. Quickly turning around, Keith’s gaze met Lance’s which looked terrified, his hand holding half an egg shell, where the other half was sitting on the floor.

 

Keith didn’t have to think twice what had happened, and a feeling of revenge immediately began to spread across his body. So Keith grabbed the closest thing his hand could touch; The cake batter.

 

Before Lance could even react, Keith’s hand scooped up a huge glob a cake batter and hurled it towards Lance’s face, hitting him square in the jaw. Lance let out a loud yelp, standing back and his hands coming up to touch the mess on his face. Keith smirked, wiping his now dirtied hand onto his apron. 

 

“Oops.” Keith spoke with a bit of vengeance, though for the most part his tone was teasing.  “I meant to hit the hair, but I decided to hit the prettiest thing I first laid my eyes on.”

 

Lance stood at Keith for only a few seconds before grabbed a hand full of flower, a wobbly grin growing across his face.

 

“Oh you’re  _ fucking _ getting it, asswipe.” Lance spoke through gritted teeth, wasting no time in hurling the white powder towards Keith.

 

Keith didn’t have very much time to avoid all of it, so some of the flour ended up in his hair, coating the majority of it white. Before he knew it, he was grabbing another baking substance and chucking it towards Lance’s direction. Lance, too, retaliated by grabbing more flour and eggs and throwing it in many directions, sometimes towards Keith but for the most part just somewhere in the kitchen.

 

Not only the two of them began to be covered in baking materials, but the walls and floor began to get covered in the mess. During some part of the fight, Keith’s frown soon turned into a giant grin while Lance’s angry pout turned into a childish look of joy. Laughter soon filled the kitchen as well and instead of throwing numerous of ingredients at each other for retaliation, it became a game of who could throw more ingredients against one another.

 

Soon enough, the cake batter had completely disappeared from the bowl and all the ingredients had emptied out. The two of the leaned against the counter and panted for air, soon meeting each other's gaze and breaking out into laughter.

 

“O-oh my  _ god!”  _ Lance laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe we just threw all our ingredients at each other!”

 

“You’re telling me!” Keith laughed with Lance, “Man, I have all crap and gunk in my hair now and it’s all your fault.”

 

“For the record, your hair looks  _ marvelous _ white, Keith.” Lance moved closer to Keith, glancing up at his hair. “Have you ever tried dying it different colors or something because I feel like you’re the kind of guy that visits Hot Topic but each time with a new hair color.”

 

“To answer the last part of your question, I haven’t shopped at Hot Topic in years.” Keith chuckled, resting his elbows behind him on the counter despite how messy it was. “And … Believe it or not, I had a hair phase. I did have it white at one point. You can ask Pidge and a few others about that, and I’m sure they all have pictures of it.”

 

Lance laughed once again, “Oh I’ll be sure to ask Pidge about it then. I  _ really _ need to see this now.”

 

The two laughed for a minute before beginning to settle down, looking at the mess they made and groaning in agony. Through the time they were fighting, the kitchen timer went off and Lance quickly grabbed the oven mitts to grab the cookies from the ove, placing them down on a cooling rack. Removing the oven mitts, Lance looks around the kitchen to survey the mess they had made. Though it was fun at first, Keith knew that both he and Lance realized the horrible mess they had made and not only they would have to clean it up, but they just wasted quite a bit of money on just throwing materials willy nilly.

 

“We really fucked up, didn’t we Keith?”

 

Keith shook his head, “Nah. It was fun in the end, wasn’t it? I saw you smiling so don’t try to deny it wasn’t fun.”

 

“Oh yeah, it was fun alright. It was the first time I saw you smiling in amusement and it was certainly a sight to see.” Lance nodded, though he soon bit down on his lower lip. “... But, I’m not really talking about wasting ingredients. I’m actually worried about Shi-”

 

Lance soon stopped midway in his sentence, his breath stopped as well as his eyes seemed to land on something behind Keith. Unsure on what Lance was about to say or what he was looking at, Keith turned his body around to see what on earth Lance seemed so scared or shocked about.

 

However, what Keith wasn’t expecting to see was a smiling Shiro. And it wasn’t a kind smile, it was one of those smiles that sent shivers down your back and heart dropping down to your stomach.

 

“Lance?  _ Keith?” _ Shiro spoke, and his tone wasn’t pleasant. “Having fun making a mess of the kitchen which was cleaned only the other  _ day?” _

 

_ Oh no.  _  Keith thought in his head, sucking in a deep breath.  _ We’re going to die right here and right now _ .

 

“S-Shiro, wait! We can explain-!” Lance exclaimed, “We were baking believe it or not, but Keith said something and I wasn’t thinking straight at all and then the next moment there was an egg in his hair and then he grabbed some cake batter and-!”

 

_ “Lance.”  _ Shiro cut him off, and Lance immediately backed off and remained silent. 

 

Keith decided to just remain silent instead of allowing himself to get into even more trouble. After all, he knew Shiro too well, and he knew when he was angry it was well and truly  _ anger. _

 

Shiro continued, crossing his arms across his chest and sighing loudly. “Honestly, I can’t leave you two alone for two hours without hearing yelling or something that could be mistaken for you two murdering each other. And-”

 

Shiro turned to face Keith, his gaze hardening.

 

“I expected more from you, Keith. After all, you spent nearly every day cleaning your room back at home.”

 

Silence filled the room again and Keith stared down at the ground, starting to feel some regret spread through his body. Though that regret didn’t last long, as Lance let out a small, confused hum and taking a step closer to Shiro.

 

“Back … Back at home?” Lance questioned, his gaze switching from Shiro to Keith. “What do you mean back at  _ home?! _ Is there something you’re not telling me here you two?!”

 

Shiro stared at Lance for a moment before letting out a laugh of his own, raising an eyebrow while uncrossing his arms.

 

“Oh, I forgot to mention this to you Lance. Keith is my adopted brother. We’re  _ siblings.” _

 

Both Keith and Lance stared at Shiro, though Keith stared at him more mad than shocked. Lance on the other hand stared at him in complete awe, this gaze shifting between Shiro and Keith for a solid minute before he let out a frustrated groan and removing his apron from his body. He threw it towards the sink and began to walk out of the room, not looking at either of the men.

 

“I … I can’t even react right now because I’m both emotionally and physically exhausted.” Lance finally said, his body going limp as he began to make his way out of the kitchen slowly. “All I know is that I’m going to murder the both of you later and I need a moment to recollect my thoughts before cleaning this mess up.”

 

As Lance walked out of the room, Keith watched him until Lance left his sight and then turned to face Shiro. He crossed his arms across his chest and frowned, clearly unhappy as it seemed Shiro didn’t even let Lance know he existed.

 

“You better start explaining because it looks like he didn’t even know you had a brother.”

 

Shiro chuckled, walking towards Keith and grabbed a roll of paper towels. “I admit not telling him  _ you _ were my brother, but I have hinted at times that I had an adopted brother. He just isn’t very good at listening at times.”

 

“I … I guess that’s true.” Keith sighed, taking a few paper towels from Shiro and beginning to clean up. “But the more I think about it, the more I’m beginning to think that both you and Pidge are setting me up.”

 

Pausing mid-way cleaning, Shiro glanced over to Keith with a raised eyebrow before allowing another soft laugh to escape his lips. He resumed to cleaning up part of the mess on the counter, a smile spread across his face.

 

“We’re not setting you up Keith- Well, at least _I'm_ not setting you up. You’re just falling for Lance and you know it.”

 

Even Keith couldn’t deny that one, so he just kept his mouth shut as he attempted to clean the kitchen with a beating heart.

 

* * *

 

After a few minutes of Keith and Shiro began cleaning the kitchen, Lance returned and began to help them clean up the horrible mess. They didn’t even realize they had gotten various ingredients onto the ceiling, and the kitchen curtains had to be taken down and placed in the washer in order to be cleaned. It took the three of them nearly an hour to clean the whole room from head to toe, sighs and groans of relief leaving the men as they realized the mess was finally all cleaned up.

 

“Now, boys.” Shiro shifted back into his stern voice, “Next time you go baking cooking and cakes, make sure to keep the ingredients in the bags or bowls, okay?”

 

Keith and Lance sighed, “Yes, Shiro. We understand.”

 

“Good, I’m glad you had fun just … Next time try to keep the mess to a minimal cleaning effort.” Shrio let out a laugh and placed the remainder of the kitchen towels into the sink for cleaning. “Now, Lance go take another shower and Keith go take one in my bedroom. I don’t want to be reminded of that time you messed your hair up for nearly a month by bleaching it all white.”

 

“I didn’t mess it up, it was just a phase.” Keith sighed making his way towards Shiro’s bedroom with a frown plastered across his face. “Maybe I’ll do it again just to make you mad, how about that?”

 

“Please don’t.” Keith heard Shiro say as he entered Shiro’s room and made his way towards his bathroom. He allowed a short laugh to leave his lips, remembering the look on Shiro’s face when he first saw Keith’s white hair years ago.

 

Closing the door behind him, Keith looked in the mirror and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of himself. Lance was right; His hair was  _ completely _ white, even with an egg plunked onto the top of his head. Nevertheless, it was starting to feel uncomfortable, and Keith quickly stripped his clothes off and turned on the shower, not having to wait long for it to heat up and stepping in.

 

After ten minutes of extreme shampooing, Keith stepped out and dried himself off as best as he could. Unfortunately, he couldn’t put all his clothes again as they were dirtied with eggs, cake mix, and various other ingredients, so he decided to clean his pants as best he could and just grab a clean shirt from Shiro’s dresser. He didn't care if it happened to be far to big on his body, he just needed a replacement until he got back to his dorm room. He’ll just return his shirt the next time he met up with him.

 

He made sure he looked somewhat presentable before exiting Shiro’s room, deciding to head up the stairs to Lance’s room to see if he was all washed up and clean. Keith made it to the top of the stairs and realized that Lance was still in the shower, the door to the bathroom closed but this time the door to his room slightly open. 

 

Keith furrowed an eyebrow.  _ That’s strange. _ He thought, walking up to the door.  _ I’m sure it was closed last time, perhaps Lance forgot to close it properly? _

 

He knew he was probably crossing the line taking a peek into Lance’s room without his permission, but a short glance wouldn’t hurt, right? Besides, Keith was interested on what Lance’s room looked like, and he felt he would learn more about him if he had just a small glance. 

 

So with no hesitation, Keith pushed open the door and looked directly into his room.

 

For the most part, it was a mess. Papers, textbooks, art supplies, and much more seemed to have just been tossed around and there were empty water bottles on top of his desk. This wasn’t very ….  _ Pleasing _ , in Keith’s opinion, as he was quite a clean freak himself. In fact, he would spend almost every other day cleaning his dorm room.

 

Keith was quite shocked to see Lance’s room a complete mess, he didn’t seem like the kind of man to be _this_  unclean. It concerned him even and thought about how Lance felt about living in this, and it took a high amount of willpower for Keith to not grab the nearest trashcan and begin cleaning his room himself.

 

However, all his thoughts went out the window as his eyes settled on something in the corner of the room, something covered with a blanket. Keith knew by the shape of it that is was a canvas, and Keith wondered if it was a painting Lance was working on. Again, he knew that he was being far too nosy even for his liking, but his curiosity got the better of him and he found himself walking towards the covered painting.

 

Keith took one last glance behind his back to make sure Lance or anyone wasn't there before tugging the blanket away.

 

And as he tugged the blanket away, he came face-to-face with a picture of himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunnnnnn. He saw the painting~
> 
> If any of you are wondering what Lance's spanish rant translates to it's:  
> "What the fuck?! What the fuck?! No, no, no! Why me?! Why?!"
> 
> Next chapter will be in Lance's POV once again, but we'll get back to Keith's POV in a few chapters! I'll try and get the chapter out in a week if my work is minimal but if not it will be in 2 weeks. The best way to find out is on my tumblr where I try to post updates^^
> 
> Anyways, if you've read this far thank you so much! You're comments are amazing and I read every single one of them! ^-^
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	6. Stale Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a heaving heart, Lance believes he has most likely shut out the one person who cares the most about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've worked really hard the past week to get this chapter out because I didn't want to leave you all hanging, but I have kinda an update thing in the end notes I really encourage you all to read^^ 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! It's got quite a lot of content and has... Quite an arrange of emotions. And a special guest appearance.
> 
> This chapter is back to Lance's POV.

Instead of showering while spewing out the lyrics to an ABBA song, Lance stood in the shower in deep thought.

 

His thoughts were all over the place, and each one of those thoughts were all about Keith. Surprisingly, none of those thoughts were negative in any way, and instead Lance was thinking about all the wonderful things about Keith he only just realized or discovered today.

 

The first thing Lance couldn’t get out of his mind was how _beautiful_ Keith’s laugh was. It was almost like a national treasure to him, and Lance only wanted to hear more of it. Not only that, Lance wanted to see more of Keith himself. Not in a sexual way- Well, okay. Just _Maybe_ a tiny bit, but that was the perverted side of him and for now he was going to ignore that for the time being. Instead, Lance just really wanted to be by Keith's side for as long as possible.

 

Keith’s smile, laugh, eyes, personality … Lance could go on for ages. So many things he loved about Keith and he couldn’t even put into words how much they made him happy.

 

Lance quickly grabbed the shower handle and turned it to the cold water, letting out a groan as he felt the bitter cold run down his body. _This is bad …_ Lance thought, his face still heating up despite the coldness. _I’ve got a thing for the Mullet Head and this is something I didn’t want. Why is he so damn perfect?_

 

Making sure all the baking products were off his body and hair, Lance shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and began to dry himself down, trying to think of something other than Keith. How about the weather? Nope. Still Keith. Cookies? Nope, baked some of those with Keith. Hair? Keith has nice hair. It looks soft. Lance wouldn’t mind running his hand through Keith’s hair every so often.

 

By the time completely dried his body and hair off, Lance had given up trying to get Keith out of his mind.

 

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Lance opened the bathroom door and took a couple of steps towards his room. However, before he could even walk into his room or open the door, his hand paused over the handle.

 

“Did … Did I leave my door open?”

 

Lance felt a cold wave of dread wash over his body at the sudden realization. He had left his door open and he began to think about the worse case scenario. Did Keith realize it? Was he in there right now? He might just be overthinking it at this point, but something in the back of Lance’s mind just told him otherwise. Besides, he never left his door open, and if he did, Keith certainly wouldn’t know that, right?

 

His body moved into action before his mind could do all the processing, and Lance stumbled into his room with his eyes blown wide open. He held onto his doorknob and his eyes scanned the room fast, looking for any signs of an intruder.

 

Keith was standing in front of the painting, his eyes completely glued onto it. In his hand, he held the blanket that was covering it the last time Lance was in there. Though soon, Keith’s gaze turned towards Lance, his own eyes blown into shock.

 

“L-Lance!” Keith exclaimed, his hand dropping the blanket. “This … This isn’t what it looks like!”

 

Lance continued to stare at Keith in pure shock, dread stirring up in his body. _He saw it. He saw it._ His mind said over and over again, his breath beginning to shake. _He saw the painting, what are you going to do now?_

 

Feeling his hand drop from the doorknob, Lance took once last step into the room and dropped his head. All he felt was shame, and he couldn’t dare let Keith see his face now.

 

_I messed up. He hates me, no doubt about it._

 

“Get out.”

 

Lance’s tone of voice came out aggressive, low and alarmed. Even Lance was shocked at the tone he was currently displaying, but he just couldn’t help it. Keith had seen the one thing Lance didn’t want him to see, and he felt completely vulnerable around him. He didn’t want to, he felt too scared. He was too scared to know what Keith felt, and he quite frankly, he didn’t want to know.

 

Keith remained silent for a moment before speaking again, his tone completely shifting.

 

“What …?”

 

Lance gritted his teeth, attempting to hide his panicked nerves. “I said get out! Didn’t you hear me the first time?! You’re not supposed to be in _here!”_

 

“I didn’t know, Lance!” Keith’s voice cracked, and Lance felt his heart tear apart. “I’m sorry! I just saw your bedroom door open and I was curious to see what your room was like-!”

 

“Well, are you happy now? Did your little curious ass get what it wanted? Like what you see?” Lance balled his fists, “I hope you did, because you’re not allowed here ever again. I want you to get out. _Now.”_

 

“Lance, _please!_ I’m really sorry, I-I … I don’t know what else to say!”

 

Lance finally looked up, though he instantly regretted it the moment he looked into Keith’s eyes. Keith’s expression absolutely ripped Lance’s heart out of his chest and he couldn’t bare look at it any longer. He had to get out of there now, or Keith had to at the very least.

 

“P-please …” Lance’s voice trembled, his arms wrapping around his chest. “... Please just get out!”

 

“L-Lance-”

 

_“GET OUT, KEITH! I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU!”_

 

Silence filled the room, the two boys standing in completely silence. Lance continued to stare down at the ground until he heard footsteps on the ground, looking up to see Keith making his way out of the room. He didn’t meet Lance’s gaze, which only made Lance’s heart break all the more.

 

Keith stopped at the doorway for a brief moment before leaving Lance’s sight completely, a whisper leaving his mouth.

 

“... I’m sorry. Please _forgive me_ , Lance.”

 

As Lance heard Keith walk down the stairs, the emotions began to well up within him. He no longer felt scared or betrayed, but instead he felt angry. Not at Keith, but himself. He couldn’t quite grasp it, but something inside his mind was telling Lance that he had just made a major mistake.

 

It wasn’t until a minute later that Lance realized he had truly messed up.

 

Making a quick turn, Lance bolted down the stairs. He didn’t care that he was wearing a towel around his waist, all that mattered was that he accepted Keith’s apology and to hear him out, Once again, Lance was being rash and wouldn’t let Keith explain himself, and he _hated_ himself for doing it to Keith again. Keith didn’t deserve that kind of behavior, not at all.

 

The one thing Lance realized while in the shower for the second time that day was the fact that he wanted to give the whole _world_ to Keith, for him to experience all the happiness that the world had to offer. Anything to see that smile of his or to hear his wonderful laugh.

 

And losing him now would only break Lance.

 

As Lance reached the bottom of the stairs, he bolted into the living room and hoped Keith was still there.

 

“Keith-!”

 

His eyes scanned the room and he felt his heart drop, his breath stopping and his hands beginning to shake.

 

He saw Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge sitting on the sofa, but there was no sign of Keith or his mullet hair anywhere, and Lance could feel every part of his being begin to break apart right before his eyes. Especially since none of his friends would look at him in the eye, fully aware themselves of what happened and refusing to explain to Lance where Keith had gone.

 

The three on the sofa stared at the floor before Shiro finally spoke up, his voice soft yet hinting sadness.

 

“Lance … Keith left. He’s gone.”

 

* * *

 

If Lance could describe how he felt the next morning, he couldn’t. Unless there was a feeling that was equivalent to hating every single part of your existence and regretting every single action you’ve done in the last twenty four hours, Lance was just going to say he felt like utter shit.

 

Lance hated the fact that once he realized what he said Keith was gone, every inch of his body was filled with the feeling of instant regret and he swore he could hear his heart crack. His throat felt dry, his hands shook, and he was trying his best to not let himself cry in front of his friends. He actually stormed right back into his room just to cry, and Lance didn’t even make it to his bed before letting his emotions getting the best of him.

 

As soon as he shut his bedroom door he felt the first set of tears roll down his face, his back hitting the wall and his body sliding down onto the ground. Lance felt angry, pissed, and the most part disappointed in himself. Not only he drove away the man who seemed genuinely interested in him as a person and gave every single ounce of patience and kindness, but Lance was beginning to realize something else.

 

Lance had driven away a man who he had began to develop serious feelings for.

 

_He hates me._ Was all Lance could think. _He hates me, he hates me. I drove him away and now he hates me._

 

Lance couldn’t forget the look on Keith’s face when he told him to get out, to get out of his life. He looked shattered, _heartbroken_ , even more than a puppy being kicked off to the side. Lance couldn’t think of anything more sad than the look Keith had on his face before he ran out of his room. Nothing could _haunt_ Lance more than the look that Keith had on his face.

 

Just when he thought the tears would stop, more only continued to gradually fall down his face. He hated the way his sobs leaked from his mouth, the way his body shook with every sound, but most of all, Lance just hated himself full stop.

 

There was no way he was going to get a second chance, that’s what he thought.

 

Looking up for the first time since he entered his room, Lance’s gaze fell onto the painting of Keith. He felt his heart drop to his stomach once again, and he quickly turned away before the sight of Keith made him feel all the more shittier. He eventually got up from the ground despite the tears still rolling down his face to pick up a blanket and cover the painting, hopefully for the rest of his life.

 

Still despite not wanting to look at the painting, Lance wouldn’t dare paint over it or throw it out. He harbored too many feelings towards Keith to do that.

 

Walking to school in the morning was a whole new task than what it used to be before for Lance the day after, and he even struggled to get out of bed. He didn’t want to move; his body wouldn’t let him. Pidge had to drag him out of bed in order to make sure he got some food in him, and luckily for him his friend didn’t say a single word to him. Neither did Hunk or Shiro, leaving the house oddly quiet for once.

 

Eventually, Lance made it to class despite his body feeling like a thousand pounds. He knew he couldn’t miss a class, so he sat through the many of boring lectures that he had to attend the majority of the day. Unfortunately for him, the day was filled with _many_ lectures, and he wouldn’t be able to leave the campus until a little after five.

 

It wasn’t like he was going to go home, however. Lance couldn’t bare look into Shiro’s eyes after what he did to his brother, and he had to get his thoughts all sorted out before going back to face his friends.

 

So he decided to spend the rest of the evening in the art room. He knew Allura didn’t have a class today, but he had complete access to the room even when she wasn’t in there. Although Lance wasn’t going there to paint, he couldn’t bare holding up a brush to a canvas or a pencil to a piece of paper. He was just going to watch the sunset from the balcony and look at the stars in the sky until he felt his mind was at a peaceful state.

 

When the sun began to set, stars began to appear in the sky. Lance felt like he was at peace every time a new star began to show itself, recognizing a few of them each time his eyes wandered over one. He pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on top of his knees while his gaze continued to stay glued onto the sky.

 

Though no matter how many stars or planets he recognized, his mind seemed to wander back to Keith.

 

Lance smiled bitterly, his gaze casting down onto the ground.

 

“You … You really fucked up this time didn’t you, buddy?”

 

He began to talk to himself, uncaring if anyone heard him. It wouldn’t be likely, though, as it was very late at night and he was the only one on the balcony or in the art room.

 

Lance sighed, closing his eyes. “It’s just like you to … Cast away someone you’ve began to develop feelings for. What are you scared of? Letting them find out who you really are? Stop being a coward, Lancie. Why do you always get so afraid of the truth?”

 

Shaking his head, Lance sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked back up towards the sky and bit down on his lower lip in an attempt to calm himself down.

 

“... Who am I kidding …”

 

A tear fell down his face, his voice shaking.

 

“... I’m a fucking mess no matter how hard I try to face the truth.”

 

Lance allowed the tears to flow down he face, he didn’t bother holding them back. It wasn’t like anyone was around to see or hear him, so he didn’t even care one single bit. He was tired; tired having to hide his secrets. However, he couldn’t help but keep himself closed off to everyone, even his closest friends. Lance was just worried they would worry about him all the more, and he didn’t want them to be more distressed over him as they already were.

 

Wiping away the tears from his face, Lance suddenly heard the door to the balcony open, startling him. He quickly turned his head, expecting to see Allura or perhaps another art student or maybe even the janitor.

 

However, as soon as his eyes landed on the mullet, Lance felt his heart drop to his stomach.

 

“H-hey …” Keith said, his voice unsteady and his gaze casted onto the ground. “Shiro told me you would probably be here, so … I came.”

 

Lance internally cursed Shiro in his mind, he really wished he could have this time to think over his actions. Now, however, he had to face them head on. And a part of him didn’t really want to despite his other half relieved that he was finally getting a chance explain himself.

 

Remaining silent, Lance casted his gaze onto the ground and sniffled. Keith closed the door behind himself and sat next to Lance on the floor, though keeping his distance.

 

“Are you … Crying?”

 

Lance frowned, scoffing. “And what’s your business?”

 

“I … I just want talk to you.” Keith spoke, keeping his voice quiet. “I feel like we had some unresolved issues we need to address and clear up before … Well, before we move on.”

 

Lance didn’t like the way phrased his last few words at all, and he could feel his heart began to pound against his chest painfully. He didn’t want to move on, whatever that meant. In Keith’s head, move on could mean going their separate ways, and that wasn’t want Lance wanted at all.

 

So instead of letting his voice speak out for his mind, Lance kept his mouth shut. It was silent until Keith began to speak again, running a hand through his hair while looking up at the sky.

 

“I just want to start off first by apologizing. I shouldn’t have been in your room, it was wrong of me and I should've waited for you and asked your permission very barging in so rudely. I acted rashly and I regret it so, _so_ much, Lance. I … I don’t know if you’ll forgive me for doing it, but I know that I was in the wrong and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve been hating myself the past day for doing you wrong.”

 

Keith took a moment to pause before turning to face Lance, a downcast frown forming onto his lips.

 

“However, I’m not going to lie, Lance. Upon seeing the state of your room was in, I immediately grew concerned. I’ve never seen anyones room that messy before, and I know I’m a bit of a clean freak,” He chuckled, “But … I used to leave my room like that before I was adopted into Shiro’s family. And do you know why? Because I didn’t feel like it was worth it, _I_ didn’t feel like I was worth it because I didn’t have a true family. Even when I did get adopted, my room remained a mess until I felt accepted into the family. It took a while, but … It was painful.”

 

Lance felt his breath hitch in his throat, bringing his legs closer to his chest. He hated how Keith could easily read him, he couldn’t even begin to explain how much he felt vulnerable just sitting right next to Keith on the balcony. Though he couldn’t lie, Lance didn’t entirely hate it. In fact, it felt like a breath of fresh air in a way to finally meet someone who could read him easily.

 

It was a breath of fresh air that was bitter cold. Refreshing, yet it still felt uncomfortable to the throat while breathing it in. It would take time to grow used to it, or you would have to move to a warmer place.

 

And for once, Lance really wanted to stay in that cold area.

 

After another moment of silence, Keith began to speak again. “But forget about that now, that isn’t what I want to talk about.”

 

Lance swallowed a lump in his throat, knowing what Keith was about to ask next.

 

“... Why was there a painting of me in your room, Lance?”

 

He had to taken a moment to process his thoughts and to allow his breath to return to his body, only realizing a short moment later that he had been holding his breath the majority of the time Keith spoke to him. Lance knew it was his time to talk, Keith was clear that he had spoken on his behalf and now it was time for Lance to voice what was in his mind.

 

Taking one last deep breath, Lance removed his chin from his knees and looked up to the sky, his gaze resting onto the stars as he began to speak in a quiet tone.

 

“There are a thousands things I wish I could say to you right now, Keith. But I’m just going to be reasonable for once and think before I speak.” Lance chuckled, “I … Can’t even begin on why there is a painting of you in my room, why _I_ painted you. But-”

 

Lance managed to lift his head to look towards Keith, surprised to see him staring at him with a genuine, curious expression. He felt his heart calm down slightly, but it didn’t stop him from blushing from the apples of his cheeks.

 

“- _But,_ I’m just going to go ahead and say that I’m genuinely interested in you. I … I really don’t know how to explain it, in all honesty. Just ever since I saw you deliver my pizza, saw you in art class, got to know you better, I’ve just had this weird, natural interest in you. I may call you Mullet Head, Keith, but did you know that I actually like your hair?”

 

Keith’s faced morphed into a red mess and he pressed his lips together, looking up into the sky while clearing his throat.

 

“... That’s pretty kinky, Lance.”

 

“H-hey!” Lance yelled, and could immediately see the smile spreading across Keith’s face. “There’s nothing kinky about thinking that your hair is actually attractive-!”

 

“Attractive?” Keith’s smirk only grew, “That’s a new one. Anything else attractive about me you want to say?”

 

Lance muttered a few words in spanish before shaking his head, groaning and looking back up at the sky. “I’m keeping my mouth shut. I’m not going to entertain you.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Keith shook his head too, he too looking up at the sky. “Keep your mouth shut, but one day I’ll get those words out of you.”

 

“Can’t wait to see you try, Mullet Head.” Lance challenged, a genuine smirk finally growing across his lips. Keith responded with a laugh and moved a bit closer to Lance, so close that their shoulders nearly touched. Lance tried to pay no attention to it, but he couldn’t help but let his body lean _ever_ so slightly towards Keith to just touch him.

 

For the third time that night, there was a silence between the two. However, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but instead it was a pleasant silence. The two were smiling, sitting next to each other and looking up at the stars in peace, and Lance wasn't sure if he wanted to interrupt it.

 

Eventually, Keith took it upon himself to clear the silence, surprisingly pressing his whole left side of his body against Lance and leaning his head onto his shoulder. Lance felt his cheeks heat up to a whole new hue of red and pursed his lips together, unsure whether he should wrap his arms around Keith or something or even run a hand through his hair. It took all of his willpower to even stop himself from doing one of the two, so Lance just kept his arms to his sides.

 

But it didn’t stop him from placing his head on top of Keiths, a soft sigh escaping his lips at the feeling of his soft hair.

 

“I know you haven’t explained your whole story about that painting and I know you’re hiding some feelings, but I understand.” Keith spoke, his tone kinder than ever before. “I’m going to be patient and wait for you to understand them yourself first, I want you to be one hundred percent sure about your feelings before letting them blurt out for me or the whole world to hear. Trust me, I know what it feels like to say something only to then regret it. So think about it, Lance.”

 

Lance felt a hand run through his hair and his heart began to pound against his chest harder than before, pressing his lips even harder together. It was only a few seconds of silence before Keith spoke again, his tone the same exact way.

 

“I’m not exactly the most patient of people, Lance. I’m pretty hot-headed myself despite how hard it is for me to admit that, but for you … For you _only,_ I’ll wait. We're not over, not at all. It's ... It's only just beginning. Just think of this as a rough patch, but we're getting through it together.”

 

Feeling Keith’s hand intertwine with his, Lance smiled and closed his eyes. Instead of focusing on the stars he began to focus on Keith’s presence and how calming and reassuring it was, finally happy to have him by his side once again.

 

Lance knew he had some serious thinking to do now. Keith said he was going to be patient, but for how long? Lance didn’t want him to wait too long, so he knew in the next couple of weeks he had to come to terms with his exact feelings for Keith. Even though the two only met nearly a month ago, Lance couldn’t deny he had a strange attraction towards Keith. One that he had never felt before.

 

Soulmates wasn’t something Lance thought about often, but he believed in them. He always believed that there was always the perfect someone out there for him, whether it be a man, woman, or maybe even other. But now more than ever, the idea of a soulmate began to resonate in his mind.

 

Could Keith maybe be the soulmate he as been searching for in his life?

 

* * *

 

 

What Lance remembered on that balcony was being in Keith’s arms before he blacked out, succumbed to sleep. He had neglected his sleeping needs the past few days, and unfortunately for him that night being in Keith’s grasp, Lance couldn’t help it.

 

However, what he didn’t expect when waking up the next morning was to wake up in a bed _far_ more comfier than his back at home. That’s how he knew he wasn’t in his bedroom.

 

Opening his eyes and letting out a soft yawn, Lance sat up in the bed and stretched his arms up in the air. He took that moment to look at his surroundings and see where he was, carefully observing every detail of the room.

 

It was obviously a dorm room; the rooms were a boring cream-white color and there were a few cracks here and there in the wall. However, in various spots across the room, there were posters ranging from bands to space, brightening the dorm ever so slightly. There was only one bed in the room, the one he was sleeping in, so it was clear whoever's room this was had it all to themselves which way to go buddy, how did you manage that? And finally, there was a desk on the other side of the room which seemed to be very organized. Lance wished he could have his room be just as clean and tidy as this dorm room, but he was just wishful thinking at this point.

 

Laying back down on the bed, it wasn’t until a minute later that Lance realized he was stripped from his clothing and only wearing his boxers. He looked around the room in hope to find them somehow, yet he couldn’t see them at all. All he saw was his backpack beside the desk with another backpack, one he wasn’t all too familiar with.

 

So when he turned his head towards the other direction, he _honestly_ wasn’t expecting Keith to be sleeping right next to him on the _same_ bed. Not in a million years.

 

And of course Lance let out a loud scream, causing Keith to jump up from his obvious comfy sleeping position and to bash the back of his head against the wall only a feet inches away from where he was sleeping. He groaned loudly and opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck and glaring daggers towards Lance.

 

“What the hell, Lance?!” Keith sounded exasperated and tired, “Why the hell did you just scream like a fucking girl?!”

 

Lance pulled the blankets over him, covering his body. “Y-you pervert! You strip me of my clothing and then put me in the same bed as you?! Are you _crazy?!”_

 

Keith stared at Lance in awe for a short moment before sighed, shaking his head and allowing the smallest of smiles to spread across his lips. He got up from the bed and climbed over Lance, Lance thankful that Keith was wearing a shirt and sweatpants.

 

“I don’t have any perverted ideas to do with you so no need to think about that. I just took your clothing off and took them down to the student laundry room once I managed to carry you all the way from the art room to my dorm room. You passed out on the balcony, and there was no way in hell I was taking you back to your house.”

 

Immediately regretting his mouth, once again, get the better of him, Lance apologetically glanced over to Keith who only sighed and proceeded to open the window next to the bed, looking outside.

 

“Don’t worry, you have a reason to be alert after all.” He chuckled, “I’m sure you were quite confused when you woke up.”

 

“Actually, I was more surprised how clean your room was and how you managed to get a dorm room all to yourself.” Lance smiled, laying back down onto the bed and keeping himself covered.

 

“As I stated last night, I began to clean my room once I was adopted into Shiro’s family.” Keith spoke, “And as for managing to get a dorm room all by myself, my previous roommate dropped out of college due to family reasons after the first few weeks, thus why I have all this to myself.”

 

Lance nodded, “You’re pretty damn lucky, Keith.”

 

“Yeah.” Keith nodded, a large grin growing across his face. “And thus, why I can do shit like this.”

 

Lance cocked his eyebrow, unsure what Keith meant but continuing to look at him puzzled. It wasn’t until Keith reached into what seemed to be a bag of cat treats and grabbed a few, holding his hand out the window. It was then that Lance realized two things; Keith’s dorm room was on ground level, and a white cat jumped onto the window ledge, its yellow eyes landing on Keith and a loud meow escaping its mouth.

 

“Hey there, buddy.” Keith said, feeding it a treat. “Sorry you had to sleep outside last night, I had a little dilemma and my friend needed the extra space.”

 

The white cat at the treat and glanced over to Lance. Instead of getting a friendly meow, however, Lance got a threatening hiss before the cat jumped into the dorm room and proceeded to make itself comfortable by jumping onto his desk chair and curling up.

 

Lance glanced over to Keith, waiting for him to explain. Keith laughed and crossed his arms across his chest, sending a glance over to the cat before looking back towards Lance.

 

“His name is Lotor and he’s a complete asshole.”

 

Lance stared at him for a while before speaking, “How the fuck did you manage to get a cat into the fucking dorm room, man?”

 

“It’s actually an interesting story.” Keith closed the window before sitting on the edge of the bed, “When my roommate moved out whom I really didn’t care about in the first place, this little guy one day began meowing outside my window. I had to let him in, it was raining outside and I couldn’t really let the poor guy sit outside dripping wet. He was quite starved, so I began to nurse him to health and ever since then he’s been by my side. I never thought about having a cat, but it looks like he was a stray that needed some help.”

 

“Do you like animals?” Lance asked, and Keith shook his head.

 

“Not particularly, I used to be scared of dogs as a child. But Lotor, he … Well, it kinda reminded me of myself. I was abandoned until Shiro’s family found me, so I wanted to return the favor. Give him a family, y’know?”

 

Lance nodded, a smile growing across his face. “Funny how you say you don’t like dogs, we have two back at my mother’s house. They’re absolute goofballs and full of energy, kinda like my whole family.”

 

“That’s actually why I don’t like dogs.” Keith chuckled, “Too much energy. If I had to choose an animal it would be a cat, they're much more calm and obedient. Though, I’m sure that just depends on the owner.”

 

“Correct you are there, Keith. But I think it’s nice knowing you have a more softer side.” Lance finally sat up, not caring about covering up his upper body anymore. “I think … I think it’s kinda cute. That cat suits you.”

 

“Oh trust me, even though Lotor knows me he’s still an asshole.” Keith rolled his eyes, “He’ll sit by me and meow at me, but with other people he'll hiss and scratch at them. He barely even let's me touch him in the first place, and he only recently started letting me pet his head."

 

Lance hummed, “He’s probably got trust issues, perhaps from being with an abusive owner or some sorts? That could be why.”

 

“Maybe … It hurts me to think that could be the case.”

 

Lance stared at Keith for a minute before moving towards Keith and sitting next to him cross-legged. He sighed and wrapped an arm playfully around him, a genuine smile tugging the corners of his lips upward.

 

“Well, Lotor has a loving owner now so soon he’ll be comfortable around you. I’m sure of it.” Lance patted Keith’s back for reassurance, “And you may be cold at first but you’re a good man, Keith. It’s a match made in heaven.”

 

Keith snorted, “Wow, jeez. That’s _so_ assuring hearing that from the man nearly naked in my room.”

 

“For your information, _you’re_ the one who stripped me in the first place so that blame is not on me.”

 

“Touché.”

 

Stretching his arms up in the air one last time, Lance stood up and began to stretch his legs out. “Anyways, where are my clothes? I have to thank you for washing them, of course, but I really should be heading back before my friends get worried about me.”

 

“Don’t worry, I already contacted Shiro to let him know you were staying over with me for the night.” Keith assured him, standing up from the bed as well and walking towards his closet. “And your clothes are all washed and dry, I just placed them in my closet because I kind of have this organization thing going on in my room, as you can see.”

 

“Oh, I could easily tell. I'm actually quite jealous.” Lance chuckled, “I wish I could be this organized, yet something is just holding me back from doing it. It … It’s actually fucking painful that I can’t find any strength to do it. I wish I could, but .. I just can’t.

 

Keith grabbed Lance’s clothes and tossed them to him, crossing his arms across his chest and giving him a genuine smile. “Don’t worry, Lance. I completely understand. How about I come over from time to time to help clean up your room a little bit at a time? That way, it will become cleaner over time so you can adjust to it. It’s what I did and I can tell you it worked.”

 

“I …” Lance looked down at his clothes, his cheeks warming up. “... I would actually really like that. That would be nice.”

 

“Good. I’ll text you about it later, then?”

 

“Of course.”

 

After Lance put his clothes on and made sure he was in some kind of clean condition, he grabbed his backpack and shoes which were placed by the door, slipping them on. Keith leaned against the wall nearby until Lance turned to face him, an apologetic smile on his face.

 

“Look, Keith. I …” Lance paused, “I can’t even begin to say how much it meant to me last night that you came for me. If you hadn’t have come, I don’t think I could have mustered up the courage to see you again, and … It honestly would have broke me. Imagining a life living in regret over you just physically would have killed me. I was emotionally exhausted just thinking about it, and once again … I’m _so_ sorry for the way I've treated you.”

 

Keith sighed and shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

 

“As I said last night, you don’t need to apologize, Lance. I was in the wrong, you had every reason to get angry. As long as you forgive me, I am willing to move and and pursue what ever relationship or friendship is to come.”

 

Lance smiled happily, “Your apology is accepted.”

 

Opening the door, Lance stepped outside and turned to face Keith for the last time that day, a new hue of red spreading across his cheeks. He still had a sheepish smile on his lips, and he couldn’t help but ask Keith one more question before heading back to his home.

 

“By the way … Did you like the painting?”

 

Lance couldn’t forget Keith’s smile nor the way he spoke to Lance that day. And his answer only made his love for the Mullet Head expand to new heights.

 

“I thought it was beautiful, just call me next time so I can model for you personally.”

 

And on that note, Lance went home happier than the last time he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to tumblr user aaveeryy for giving me the idea of adding a cat to the fic. I welcome Lotor the Asshole cat into the fic. (Which, by the way, wasn't originally planned but I love it too much to pass it up. He was going to be someone else in the fic but then the cat idea just spoke to me way more).
> 
> But alrighty- update time.
> 
> I have started college classes now and I have a huuuuge workload, so I have to start updating bi-weekly so that I'm able to focus on my work. I'm a full-time student so thats a ton of hours of homework each week, and as an animation major I have a ton of digital media homework I need to focus on. Not only that, I'm moving so I'm packing up a bunch of stuff and I have to help sell our current house and help relocate my family to a new home. Theres a lot of stress on my mind right now and my mind hasn't been in the right place as well due to my insomnia which made a return this summer. Right now I'm trying my best to fix that.
> 
> But that doesn't mean I'm dropping this story- I don't want to. I really enjoy writing as it's one of my escapes and helps me relax! It's just right now my life is really hectic and seems to just like throwing shit at me. You've all made really nice comments on here and tumblr which has really brightened up my days and only motivates me to write the more, and for that I thank you all!
> 
> I also have the most amazing boyfriend who's been supporting me through this time so I want to give a shoutout to him, bright-eyes-eren on tumblr! Thank you so much babe, I love you~<3
> 
> Anyways, I hope that chapter was enjoyable and if you've read it to the end thank you so much! Things will start getting even more interesting between Keith and Lance now, oh and- that isn't the last of the angst.... or shall I say... Langst? Ohohoh.
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	7. Pizza Doesn't Grow on Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and the gang decide to take a more relaxing spring break away from the city in favor of something more quiet. And green. With a lot of trees. And not greasy. Yet somehow still cheesy and extra saucy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legit wrote this whole chapter last two nights somehow? I guess listening to the DanganRonpa soundtrack makes me focus lmfao. Anyone into that/Got the new game? I don't have a new PS4 or PSVita so I'm hoping it'll come out on the computer in the next few months (though I've already watched playthroughs of the Japanese version). I'll stick with Breath of the Wild and Fire Emblem Echoes for now^^
> 
> Also if you think I won't take that spicy information from the Keith VLOG and add it to my already going to be quite angsty story well... My friends, buckle up. It only fueled the upcoming angst. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the update! I wanted to get it out before Wednesday because I'm going to a concert. I'm also posting this from my college class at the time, haha.

“L-Lance! Move your fat ass out of my lap-!”

 

“My ass isn’t fat, shortie! Besides, we’re nearly there so calm the fuck down!”

 

“The two of you need to shut up.”

 

“You keep it quiet, Mullet Head! And stop smiling like that! My pain isn’t for your pleasure!”

 

“The three of you.  _ Shut up.” _

 

“... Yes, dad.”

 

Lance crossed his arms and leaned towards the window, his whole left side of his body completely smashed against the side of the car. The current situation really wasn’t his ideal way of what he called “Spring Break”, but unfortunately it was how the cookie crumbled.

 

It all started a week ago, about four weeks after the Keith incident.

 

The five of them were lounging around in the living room. Keith had come over in order to help Lance to tidy up his room a bit and after they finished with that the two decided to hang out downstairs with their friends. Pidge and Hunk were locked in an intense game of Mario Kart while Shiro sat watching them amused, of course. Eventually, Lance and Keith were given the remotes and within minutes locked in a very intense battle for dominance. The controllers may have been tossed at one point and fists were thrown at each other, hence why Lance and Keith were currently sitting in the corner of the sofa under the watchful eye of Shiro.

 

It was all fun and games until there was a knock at the door and surprisingly, the sound of a dapper, bright australian accent right behind it.

 

“Open up, children! Uncle Coran is back from his trip from Europe with gifts and announcements!”

 

“Coran!” Pidge immediately jumped up from the floor at the sound of his voice, throwing their controller onto the ground. “You’re back!”

 

It wasn’t long after Pidge that Hunk stood up from the ground as well, a wide smile spreading across his cheeks.

 

“Coran, Coran! The gorgeous man! He has returned!”

 

Not long after Hunk got up from the floor, Pidge had unlocked the front door and Coran entered the house. He was carrying a large duffel bag full of what Lance presumed to be gifts for everyone and of course, he still had his glorious mustache on his upper lip. Coran dropped the bag onto the ground before Pidge wrapped their arms around him, he too returning the hug.

 

“It’s been so long, Coran!” Pidge exclaimed, laughing. “You were gone for so long that I almost thought you would never return!”

 

Coran chuckled, releasing his arms from Pidge. “I do admit my stay in Europe was quite excessive, but nevertheless! I brought back many gifts for all of you as a sorry for my long stay-away!”

 

“You didn’t have to do that, Coran. Really.” Hunk smiled, though Lance knew he was appreciative of the gifts. “It was up to you for how long you wanted to stay and travel around Europe.”

 

“Well, well. Enough about the chit-chat about me.” Coran walked into the house and towards the sofa, his gaze landing on Keith. “I’m more surprised about Keith socializing with the rest of you! Good to see you out and about for once, Keith!”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised with all the attention suddenly turned to him. Lance glanced over to him as well and raised an eyebrow of his own, but more for wondering what the heck Keith did before he began to hang out with him and his friends. In reply, Keith only sighed and shook his head, a small pout visible on his lips.

 

“I’m just here so I’m not bored.”

 

Coran hummed, “Ah, stubborn and hotheaded as ever I see. Glad to know I’ve come back home to the same old Keith!”

 

“Well, he’s a bit different. He’s being more sociable and pleasant more recently actually.” Shiro finally spoke, “But yeah, stubborn and hotheaded is still very much Keith.”

 

“Nice to know everyone is attacking me here.” Keith’s pout turned into a frown and he crossed his arms across his chest. “Maybe I’ll go back to my dorm room and be unsociable.”

 

“I’m not attacking you!” Lance raised his hands up in the air in anguish and frowned at Keith, but Keith just shook his head. Instead, Keith now furrowed his eyebrows in anger and sent an unpleasant glance towards Lance.

 

“Says the little  _ asshole _ who pushed me during Mario Kart making me loose.”

 

“You threw a fucking  _ blue shell _ at me!”

 

_ “Boys.” _ Shiro warned, causing both Keith and Lance to immediately shut up. Luckily for the two of them, there was no immediate silence and instead Coran laughed.

 

“Oh my! It seems like the two of you get on  _ very _ well!” He shook his head, sitting down on one of the free chairs while Hunk and Pidge sat down on the floor in front of him. “But who am I to judge? Keith is welcome to do as he wants but you know I only want the best for you.”

 

“Y-yeah.” Keith nodded, covering his pout with a hand. “Sure.”

 

“Anywho-” Coran reached down to the duffel bag he dropped to the ground and unzipped it, beginning to grab an assortment of gifts and passing them to each of them. “Even I must admit I might have gone a bit overboard with the gifts here, but please accept them all on my behalf!”

 

The variety of gifts Coran got for the five of them were spectacular, and it was as if Coran bought the gifts specially for each of them. Hunk received foreign cooking books as well as souvenirs from the many countries Coran visited, while Pidge was gifted a dozen of tech-related items from many countries. Keith was gifted a black leather jacket and gloves (which, in all honesty, Lance couldn’t wait to see on Keith), and Shiro received some clothing items as well mixed with foreign souvenirs. And finally, Lance received some new drawing paper and paints which pleased him very much as he has been needing to stock up on some new painting supplies.

 

After all the gifts were passed out, Coran began to explain his whole trip. He was very expressive with his hands and face, and through all of it Lance was easily able to tell that enjoyed it very much.

 

“Oh, Italy’s coastline was so lovely! I’ll have to take the all of you there once you finish college!” Coran boasted, crossing his arms proudly across his chest. “I don’t think any of you besides Lance have traveled that far out from here haven't you?”

 

“Lance?” Keith raised an eyebrow, “Why Lance?”

 

“Lance’s family is originally from Cuba, so he used to travel there often to meet up with his family.” Shiro explained, a fond smile spread across his face. “It’s been awhile since he’s been, however.”

 

Lance smiled, “Yup! My whole entire family lives in Cuba with the exception of my mother. Although it’s been a few years since I visited all of them, I’m hoping to visit them sometime during college or hopefully when I’m all done with college.” He laughed, “... My mom, though. I wonder how she’s doing? She lives here, not in Cuba, but …”

 

Almost immediately the smile was washed away from Lance’s face. Instead, he frowned sadly and furrowed his eyebrows, his voice dropping to almost a whisper.

 

“... She must be doing okay, right? I mean, I know she’s all by herself with my brothers and sisters, but is she able to manage without my help? I sometimes want to leave just to go back and not only help her, but see her.”

 

Lance realized that he was beginning to ramble and his eyes suddenly blew wide, looking around the room to see everyone looking at him. He turned to face Keith who was sitting next to him, and the look on his face was nothing but pure concern. Quickly standing up from the sofa, Lance laughed awkwardly and shook his head, placing a wobbly smile onto his face before beginning to walk towards the bathroom.

 

“Sorry.” Lance spoke quickly, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

 

Before anyone could say anything, Lance hurried into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it. All he did was stand in there and lean against the wall and allowed his mind and body to calm down, he didn’t want to get all worked up over a choice that he made. Besides, if he didn’t go to college and get the education, then how was he going to support his family? It had to be done, one way or another.

 

It took a few minutes before Lance took one last deep breath and exited the bathroom, looking at his phone to see if maybe perhaps his mother messaged him before walking back to the living room.

 

“Ah, Lance!” Coran beamed, a smile growing back across his face. “You’re back just in time for the wonderful news!”

 

As Lance sat back down onto the sofa, Shiro leaned over to him and tapped a hand onto his shoulder to get his attention.

 

“You okay, Lance?” He asked, “I know you care about your mother.”

 

Lance nodded, forcing a more genuine smile. “I’m okay, Shiro. Better than ever actually! Let’s see what interesting news Coran the Gorgeous Man has to say!”

 

The group laughed with the exception of Keith, who stared at Lance unknowingly with an attentive gaze.

 

“Why thank you, Lance! Without further ado-!” Coran cleared his throat one last time before beginning to talk once more, “Since I have finally returned, I think it would be a wonderful idea to go camping with the all of you in order to make up for lost time. After all, you’re on your spring break now, aren’t you? Wouldn’t the all of you like to take a small vacation to nature and to let yourselves unwind?”

 

“Camping?” Pidge raised an eyebrow, “Like where you used to take us when we were in high school?”

 

Coran nodded, “Exactly, Pidge! How long has it been since the group of you been out of the area? Surely you must be growing tired of living in this house. How about the all of you go out in nature and relax?”

 

“I think that’s actually a good idea.” Hunk agreed, “We should get out of this house since we’re not doing anything over spring break, so why not take the opportunity Coran is giving us and go on a little outing?”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Shiro nodded as well, “I think we’ll need a few days though to get ready and packed up, but we’re more than happy to get our asses in gear so we can have more time to spend together.”

 

“Wonderful! How exciting!” Coran beamed, clasping his hands together. “If you want to invite a few friends to bring with you, feel free to do so! The more the merrier!”

 

“Shiro should  _ totally _ bring his girlfriend.” Lance teased, wiggling his eyebrows towards his direction. “Because, like, we don’t know who you’re dating and you’ve been dating the same woman for nearly two years. I’m  _ dying _ to know who she is, Shiro!”

 

Shiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a light tint of red spreading across his cheeks to the scar running across his nose. ”Actually … I was going to invite her anyways regardless if you guys were going to pressure me or not. As long as you don’t scream in her face or anything, because I’m taking this advantage to have a nice little vacation together.”

 

“You two haven’t had a proper vacation together yet you’ve been dating each other for two years?” Pidge questioned, to where Shiro nodded his head.

 

“Yeah, though we’ve known each other for five years. She’s just been working a lot so it’s hard to find the opportunity to have a week free.”

 

“I haven’t even met her yet I’m your brother.” Keith finally spoke, sighing as a finger tapped against on of his lip piercings. “I hate to agree with Lance, but I really want to meet her too. You talk so highly of her so how could you not introduce us to her?”

 

“Not you too, Keith.” Shiro groaned. “Look, I said I’ll bring her, so just hang on for a few more days and zip your mouths.”

 

“Uh oh, dad is getting angry.” Pidge chuckled, “Better not blow a fuse.”

 

All Shiro had to do was send Pidge a stern glare in order for them to shut up.

 

For the next tfew days, the five of them made plans together while making sure they had all the supplies needed in order to go camping. Luckily, they only needed to shop for food and a few other supplies before they were one hundred percent ready to venture out in the forest. The night before, all of them with the exception of Keith, who was packing in his dorm room, sat at the kitchen table and began to plan out who was staying in what tent.

 

They had three tents; Two tents that could fit two people and a third thing that could fit a maximum of four people. It was decided that Coran, Pidge, and Hunk would stay in the larger tent while Shiro and his girlfriend stayed in one tent, and Keith and Lance take the last tent.

 

“W-wait! Wait just a darn moment!” Lance protested, his fist banging onto the table angrily. “Are you guys telling me to stay in a tent with Mullet Head?!”

 

“Yes.” Pidge grinned, “Yes we are. And we’re going to enjoy every. Single. Second. Of. It.”

 

Lance groaned and slumped against the table, deciding it was best to ignore Pidge and to accept the fact that he was going to have to sleep  _ right _ next to Keith. He didn’t know whether to be happy or scared.

 

He didn’t bring the subject up until later in the night with Hunk, while the two were out shopping for last minute groceries. The two of them were walking up and down the aisles before Lance let out a frustrating grown, his hands grabbing onto the shopping cart suddenly.

 

“Why am I so damn nervous sharing a tent with Keith?!”

 

Hunk stopped mid-way from grabbing a box of food, raising his eyebrows and staring at Lance with a quizzical glance. He eventually smiled and finished grabbing the box of food, shoving it into the cart before directing Lance where he needed to go next.

 

“Maybe you’re beginning to develop feelings for Keith, Lance. I can’t speak for your mind, but I can speak from the way you’ve been looking at him and treating him all the more recently.”

 

“I-I … Ugh.” Lance shook his head, continuing to push the shopping cart while red began to spread across his cheeks. “I don’t know how I feel about him, because everytime I try to think about it I end up frustrated.”

 

“Frustrated as in …?” Hunk questioned with a  _ very  _ knowing gaze, and Lance let out an irritated sigh.

 

“As much as I hate to admit it,  _ sexually  _ frustrated.”

 

“Wow, man. I can’t help you with that one.” Hunk sighed, “You’re just going to have to think rationally whether you want to pursue a more adventurous relationship with Keith or remain as friends. However, I don’t know what Keith’s thinking and I cannot help you with that either.”

 

“You see, that  _ is  _ the problem.” Lance groaned, “Keith can easily read me and how I feel about him, yet I can’t read how he’s feeling at all. One minute he’s nice, genuine and sappy and then the next minute he’s ripping my guts out! I don’t know whether he likes or hates me, and it kind of pisses me off!”

 

“I really think you need to have a heart to heart conversation with him, Lance. And I mean a conversation discussing how you really feel about him and ask him how he feels about you with no ridiculous arguments.” Hunk finally explained, stopping in an aisle and crossing his arms together. “I don’t want you two ending up arguing during this trip and making it awkward for the rest of us, so  _ please _ try and get your feelings sorted out before or during the camping trip. Otherwise … You never know what might happen. It might be too late for all you know.”

 

“I … You’re right, Hunk.” Lance finally sighed and leaned against the shopping cart, his head hanging down. “Once again you’re right and I’m stressing out about nothing and being a pain in the ass. I need to get my shit sorted out and fast.”

 

Hunk placed and hand on Lance’s shoulder, smiling. “It’s okay, Lance. I think it’s nice to see you a bit vulnerable like this, it means you actually care about not only your feelings but Keith’s as well. You’re an extremely caring person, you just don’t realize how lovable you are yourself.”

 

“If you’re trying to make me cry on aisle six of the grocery store go ahead and continue complimenting me.” Lance sniffled, his lower lip quivering slightly. “It’s going to happen in five, four, three, two-”

 

“Lance, n-not here!” Hunk whispered, “I’ll buy you an extra tub of ice cream if you manage to not cry right here right now!”

 

“That, my dude, is how how you manage to bargain a good deal.” Lance immediately smiled slyly and raised an eyebrow, Hunk realizing a short moment later that Lance had faked it and groaned loudly. He grabbed a couple cans of soup and threw them into the shopping cart before grabbing the cart off Lance and venturing off on his own.

 

“I sometimes really want to punch you. In a friendly way.”

 

Lance laughed loudly and followed Hunk happily, Hunk too smiling.

 

The next day, everything was packed up into Shiro’s car and everyone somehow managed to cram inside the car. After Keith arrived late holding a large coffee looking  _ extremely _ worn out (yet cute, according to Lance in his mind), Shiro sat in the driver's seat as the designated driver with Hunk sitting by his side. Lance, Keith, and Pidge crammed themselves at the back, which wasn’t a problem just because they were crammed together like a packet of sardines, but because Lance could feel Keith’s body, his skin, the heat radiating off his skin, and  _ fuck _ how was Keith is gorgeous this close? 

 

Lance just realized this was one of the closest moments he’s seen Keith’s face, and boy was he going to take every moment of this. Though he wasn’t sure his heart could manage three hours of sitting next to Keith. Yet, it did. Somehow.

 

The first hour was fine, though approaching the two hour mark was a bit of a struggle for Lance. He was a tall man, and being crammed in the middle wasn’t very pleasing for his legs. They demanded space, and in attempt to stretch them out ended up with Pidge scream about how fat his ass was. Keith watched with amusement, of course, and Lance duly noted in the back of his mind to get his back sometime during the trip.

 

Finally, a little after the third hour, the group arrived at the camp grounds. It was beautiful weather; the sky was clear and only a few clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right, not too hot nor too cold. The weather for the whole week would remain the same, but in all honesty, Lance was just happy to be away from all the college related stuff. He loved his room and the house, but sometimes even it can get tiring after a while.

 

Finding their designated camping spot wasn't hard as Coran was already there with his large minivan, carrying supplies from the trunk. As soon as Shiro parked the car next to his, Lance wasted no time in jumping out the car and stretching his legs out, a groan leaving his lips.

 

“Land, ahoy!” Lance beamed, “Thank the heavens that I’m finally touching the ground with my feet!”

 

“Thank the heavens that I’m not being squished by Lance’s _fat_ _ ass.”  _ Pidge retorted, a frown on their lips as they exited the car. Lance grumbled, turning to Pidge and sticking his tongue out.

 

“My ass is perfectly sized  _ and _ beautiful, thank you very much! Just ask Hunk!”

 

Hunk sighed, a smile appearing on his lips nonetheless. “I’m the wrong person to ask, you really should be asking Keith that question.”

 

“W-wait!” Lance stuttered, his face immediately going red. “Don’t you dare ask him or-!”

 

Sadly, Keith’s attention was already grabbed and he removed a headphone from his ear, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Why are you all looking at me?”

 

“Oh, Lance just want’s to know what you think of his ass.” Pidge grinned, much to Lance’s dismay. “Because Lance believes his ass is  _ perfectly sized  _ and  _ beautiful _ . What do you think?”

 

Keith pursed his lips and looked towards Lance, and Lance could feel every inch of his being erode away.  _ Oh my god. What Have I done. _ He thought in his head, his face continuing to heat up.  _ Why’s he staring at me with that intense gaze? Don’t tell me he’s actually taking this seriously. _

 

Finally, Keith smirked, placing a hand on his hip as he walked to the trunk of the car.

 

“It’s mediocre. I'd give it a seven and a half out of ten. Not the best, but okay.”

 

Lance scowled, “My ass is a perfect ten and you know it, Mullet Head!”

 

Lance swore he could hear Keith laugh but chose to ignore it for now, he was a bit too ticked off with his answer to even care. Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, he finished stretching his legs out and deciding the help with unpacking the car. Pidge and Hunk began to help not long after, the process being done and over with quickly.

 

“Oh, Shiro?” Hunk questioned once Shiro finished carrying the last bag, “You’re girlfriend is still coming, right? When is she supposed to arrive?”

 

“She actually came with Coran.” Shiro answered, a pleasant smile growing across his lips. “Though I don’t know where she is.”

 

“I believe she’s scouting out the area, or .. That’s what she told me.” Coran answered, rubbing the back of his head. “Though I’m not surprised, she’s quite the adventurous one. She practically jumped out of the car once I stopped the engine.”

 

Just as Coran finished his sentence, a voice beamed from behind the trees.

 

“Oh,  _ Shiro! _ You’ve made it with all your friends!”

 

Lance felt his heart drop to the ground, out of his body. He recognized that voice no doubt; the elegance to the british accent, the enthusiasm in the tone, and beautiful flow that would make  _ anyone's _ heart swoon upon hearing it the first time. He just didn’t want to believe it in case his mind was playing tricks on him.

 

For once, his mind wasn’t. Because the next second, Allura appeared from the trees holding what seemed to be …

 

“Allura, are you holding mice?” Shiro questioned, an even kinder smile spreading across his lips as Allura laughed.

 

“Aren’t they just adorable, sweetie?” She pranced over to him, cradling them lovingly in her arms. “Oh how I wish I could take them home with me! But I know they’re creatures of the wild, so once I’m done with them I’ll let them back into the wild.”

 

Shiro chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist and Lance nearly choked from the shock. “What am I going to do with you, Allura? Any wild animal and you go gushing over it.”

 

Allura laughed and shook her head, her gaze finally turning towards Lance and the others. Her smile only grew, and she raised one hand in the air to greet them all.

 

“Hello! I’m Allura, though I know  _ two _ of the four of you already know that. It’s a pleasure to meet you all!”

 

While Hunk and Pidge stared at her, smiling and greeting her back, Lance and Keith stood in utter shock. Keith had pulled his other earbud out of his ear and stared at both Allura and his brother in utter disbelief, while Lance felt his jaw hit the ground and his eyes blow wide. The two of them stared at her for a minute before Keith spoke up, his voice obviously cracking.

 

_ “You’re _ dating my  _ BROTHER?!” _

 

_ “You’re _ dating  _ SHIRO?!” _

 

Allura laughed once against, placing the mice onto the ground and allowing them to run back into the wild. “Suprise! You’ve known me for so long and you’ve finally found out who I’ve been dating for the past few years! I must admit, keeping it a secret was hard, but the looks on both your faces is much worth the long wait!”

 

“I thought it would be a nice surprise for the two of you.” Shiro chuckled, though the smile across his face easily read  _ revenge. _ “And by the way, Lance … How does it feel now knowing that you were hitting on my  _ girlfriend?” _

 

Shiro’s gaze got suddenly very protective and Lance could feel every inch of his being beginning to shrink in size. He didn’t feel good at all, it was intimidating to say at the very least. Though, he couldn’t blame Allura. After all, Lance found Shiro attractive in his own way. It might have been one of the reasons why Lance discovered he was bisexual if he had to be honest with himself.

 

So instead of backing away like a coward in a loosing battle, Lance grinned himself and crossed his arms across his chest.

 

“I can see why she’s dating you, Shiro. What can I say? You’re a real  _ looker.” _

 

Keith let out a yelp, slapping a hand over his head. “Oh my god Lance that’s my  _ brother _ you’re talking about!”

 

“And?” Lance raised an eyebrow, his grin still present. “If I had a chance to kiss either of the two in a heartbeat my bisexual ass would be happy to.”

 

Pidge began to laugh almost immediately after Lance finished his statement, and even Hunk had to hold back his laughter by slapping a hand over his mouth. Shiro just looked amused while Allura even let out a laugh of her own. Keith, however, didn’t seem impressed at all, and instead he groaned loudly and grabbed the tent he was going to share with Lance and stomped away from the scene.

 

“I have to share a tent with this dude!” He exclaimed, “You all just want to watch me suffer, don’t you?!”

 

As Keith stomped away from the scene, Lance turned to face Shiro and pursed his lips, no longer smiling.

 

“By the way I’m ignoring you two for the rest of the day for keeping this from me.”

 

Before Shiro or Allura could reply, Lance grabbed his and Keith’s bags before hauling them after Keith. The couple stared at the two walking away and only sighed, shaking their heads before turning to face one another with smiles plastered across their faces.

 

“They’re a match made in heaven, aren't they?” Allura said, and Shiro rolled his eyes.

 

“That’s if they ever become aware of their feelings. It’s painfully obvious in front of us, but it’s completely oblivious to the two of them.”

 

Hunk walked over to them, sighing. “I told Lance to have a heart to heart conversation with Keith, but whether he backs out because of his nerves will tell us how he feels. I’m sure he wants to tell Keith, but something is holding him back.

 

Shiro frowned, turning his head away from both Allura and Hunk so they wouldn’t see. He was quiet for a moment before turning his head back around and staring directly at Keith with a somber gaze, his voice coming out in a whisper.

 

“I hope Lance talks to Keith. Keith won’t because he still has some walls up, and I know Lance is the only one who can break them down.”

 

* * *

 

Lance stared at the instruction manual for the tent for a solid ten minutes before turning to face Keith, his gaze explaining it all.

 

“I have no idea how to put a fucking tent up, man.”

 

Keith let out a frustrating groan, standing up from the log he was sitting on and placing a hand over his mouth in thought. It had been an hour since the two of them began “attempting” to build their tent, the others building their own a few feet away. Though Lance had been camping many times before, he still had no clue how the hell to set up a tent.

 

“If we don’t sort this out in a couple of minutes I’m shoving this tent into a tree or lake.” Keith painfully admitted, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence. “I’ve never been camping before and this is already stressing me out beyond belief. I didn’t even want to come in the first place yet here I am.”

 

“Hey, man. It’s going to be okay.” Lance kneeled down next to Keith and patted his back, “Just … Just give me a moment to look through the instruction manual and leave it to me, okay? I think I just need moment to not overanalyze it.”

 

Lance took another look at the instruction manual before deciding to just wing it and assemble it the best as he could. He began to pick up bits and pieces of the tent and assembling it over the tarp, pursing his lips as he did so. It was silent between the two men, and Keith watched Lance’s every move from the log he was sitting on.

 

After about twenty more minutes of silence, the tent had begun to take it’s shape to Lance’s enjoyment. In all honesty, he was just happy to finally have a gist on what to do. While continuing to assemble it, Keith had stood up and walked up to Lance, his hands in his pockets.

 

“Do you need … Uh, any help?” Keith questioned, and Lance shook his head.

 

“It’s okay, I think I’ll be done in a little bit. You take it it easy, okay?”

 

Keith stood there for a moment before nodding silent, taking a few steps back but not going back to the log he was sitting on previously. Instead, he kept his hands in his pockets and watched Lance’s every move of building the tent.

 

Eventually, Keith cleared his throat again to get Lance’s attention.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking … Could you tell me a little bit about your family?”

 

Lance had to admit he was taken aback by Keith’s question, but all his body did was freeze for a short moment before continuing to set up the tent. A small smile formed on his face and he let out a laugh.

 

“I don’t mind at all in all honestly.” Lance spoke gently, “They’re … All a bunch of goofballs, in all honesty. They’re loud, love to party, and most of all just love being the family that they are. I can't really explain it any other way, it's best for you to meet them and witness it first hand if you truly want to know what they're like.”

 

“That sounds fun.” Keith chuckled, and Lance nodded.

 

“It is, just wish I could be around more often to join the fun.” He sighed, shoving one of the small thin polls into the tent. “Before going to college, I was living with my mother and brothers and sisters. I’m the oldest in the family, so all my siblings look up to me as the father figure since … W-well …”

 

Lance fell silent for a minute before beginning to speak once more, his tone dropping a few notches.

 

“... I didn’t … Exactly have a father in my life, but that’s all you need to know.”

 

Lance waited for a moment to see if Keith would respond, but he remained silent. He was happy that it was silence instead of a bombardment of questions, Lance really didn’t want to go into why he grew up without a father in his life. After all, he hasn’t even told his closest friends about it, and they too knew that it was something far too personal.

 

Resuming to picking up the polls and shoving them into the tent, it wasn’t even a minute later that Lance felt someone beside him and Keith’s hands reaching for some of the polls. He too began to shove them into the tent, following exactly what Lance was doing.

 

“You must care a lot about your family, Lance.” Keith spoke, his voice more caring than ever. “Do you have any idea when you’re going to visit them again? When was the last time you visited?”

 

Lance chuckled, “Slow down with the questions, cowboy.” He sighed, “And to answer your questions, I visited my whole family before I went off to college but that was  _ years _ ago now that i think about. Maybe … If I study hard enough for my finals before summer, I can plan a trip to see my mother but the trip to see my whole family would have to wait until I’m completely done with college.”

 

“Ah … I see.” Keith hummed, “Because I was wondering … Well."

 

Keith shoved the last poll into the tent and began to pull it up, Lance following him on the other side. Lance was focusing more on the tent rather than his conversation with Keith, but his mind was still aimlessly listening to him talk.

 

“... I was wondering a your buddy Keith could tag along the next time you go for a visit.”

 

Lance felt his footing falter and he suddenly fell towards the tent, a startled yelp leaving his lips. He thought he was going to hit the tent and see all his hard work crumble right before his eyes, but just before he felt his body hit the tent something, or someone, caught him. Feeling his body being pulled up, Lance saw Keith wrap his arms securely around his body and pull him towards his chest. He stopped just inches in front of his face, and Lance could feel Keith’s breath on his face.

 

“L-Lance!” Keith exclaimed, his eyes full of concern. ”Be careful! We’ve just got this tent up and we are not about to put over an hours work into the garbage can just because you’re a klutz!”

 

Lance stared at Keith for a moment and groaned, rolling his eyes and frowning down at Keith. “Oh jeez, thanks for making sure that  _ I’m  _ the one that’s okay. But no! The tent should get first priority, of course!”

 

“I-I didn’t mean to- Ugh!” Keith sighed, pursing his lips. “You know what I meant, dumbass! I just get a little angry, okay?”

 

“A little angry?” Lance joked, smiling. “Keith, I don’t want to be the one to tell you this but you have a bit of a temper.”

 

“Yes, Lance.  _ I  _ have a bit of a temper. Thanks for making that clearer than ever.” Keith pouted, “No need to rub it into my damn face while I hold you in my arms because I actually  _ fucking _ care about your sorry ass.”

 

“Aw, I’m flattered you feel that way about me. But … Keith.”

 

Lance smiled fondly and and raised his hand up to Keith’s hair, running his hand through it. He couldn’t describe the feeling finally being able to feel Keith’s hair brush across his fingers and the palm of his hand, but it felt like an absolute  _ bliss. _ What the hell did Keith use for his hair anyways? Whatever it was, Lance was extremely jealous and wanted to know. No ones hair should feel this soft.

 

_ Maybe it’s because … I feel differently about him.  _ Lance thought to himself, continuing to run his hand through Keith’s hair.  _ If I ran my hair through Allura’s hair, I wouldn’t feel this way. It’s because it’s Keith, I know it. _

 

Finally dropping his hand down to Keith’s cheek, Lance finally looked into his eyes with determination. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest and his face begin to heat up, and he was surprised to see Keith looking at him instead of looking away. He looked shocked himself, and his lips were parted slightly as his breath came out in quick breaths.

 

Lance finally cleared his throat, not backing away in the slightest.

 

“You may have a temper, but it’s not a bad thing. I see if more as one of the things I … Just kinda like about you. After all, it’s what makes you Keith. I couldn’t see a Keith that was calm a mellow, you have to have the kind of flare and temper in order to be you. Don’t see it as a bad thing, because I like hotheaded Keith.”

 

Keith’s eyes blew wider than ever, and Lance couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the sight. It was adorable, his cheeks were redder than an apple and it was taking all his willpower to hold himself back from doing anything more than just cupping his cheek. Playfulying patting Keith’s head, Lance shook his head and continued to smile.

 

“Now, Pizza Boy. Do you mind letting me go? I love being embraced by you but if you don’t pull away, I’m going to press a big ol’ kiss onto your-”

 

“ _ God, no!” _ Keith quickly pulled his face and jumped back, shoving Lance as well. “Please don’t do that right now! Not in front of the others!”

 

“Oh?” Lance raised an eyebrow, “So I’m allowed to do it when the two of us are  _ alone?” _

 

“If you try kissing me while sleeping tonight or any other night I’m going to punch you in the dick.”

 

“Ouch, man. That’ll hurt.”

 

Keith sighed, “Yeah, so don’t even try it.”

 

The two stared at each other for a minute before shaking their heads, Lance reaching for his bag and swinging it onto his shoulder.

 

“Should we get our stuff unpacked and meet with the others to see if anything else needs unpacking?” Lance asked, looking at Keith with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Sure,” Keith agreed, grabbing his bag as well and making his way into the tent. “But we are sleeping on opposite sides of the tent. No buts. I don’t want to wake up with your ass in my face or your arms wrapped around me.”

 

“... I can agree with that one for sure.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s really nice to be sitting around such a lovely group of people!” Allura announced that night while all of them sat around the fire. “I’m sure we will all have a fun time.”

 

“As long as  _ all _ of us get along.” Pidge added, sending a glare towards Lance and Keith. Lance looked up from his sketchbook and stuck his tongue out at them while Keith just shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I don’t know why you’re assuming they’ll be pain the asses, Pidge.” Hunk defended the two, “They managed to put their own tent up so I think it’s safe to say that they’re going to get along quite well.”

 

“Thank you, Hunk.” Lance sighed, his eyes returning to his sketchpad. “And Pidge, I will give you a dollar for every time Keith and I argue on this trip if you just shut up about us for the duration of this trip.”

 

Pidge grinned, “Challenge accepted! Hand me a marshmallow, Shiro! I’m going to celebrate before I start raking in all the money.”

 

“Look what you’ve done, Lance. You’re feeding Pidge confidence.” Shiro sighed a reluctantly handed Pidge the bag of marshmallows. “Now they’re going to be cocky for the duration of the trip.”

 

“Just see it as keeping Pidge occupied.” Allura sighed, and Coran nodded his head in agreeance.

 

“I think we all just need to unwind starting now and to just enjoy ourselves. This is not only my treat to all of you, but the break you all deserve! Let yourselves go and have fun! Do something crazy, though … Try not to get  _ too _ crazy.”

 

“We hear you, Uncle Coran.” Hunk joked, and the group joined in with the laughter. After that, the seven of them broke off into their own conversations.

 

Keith looked over Lance’s shoulder to see what he was drawing, and Lance chuckled as he felt his presence.

 

“You like what you see, Mullet?”

 

Keith sighed, “How on earth are you able to draw even in the darkness?”

 

“It’s not that dark, at least I have the light from the fire.” Lance pursed his lips in thought, “Hey, do you think this looks alright here?” He pointed his finger at the drawing of a redwood tree, “I’m thinking of adding more detail to the bark, but I want another person's perspective.”

 

“Hm …” Keith leaned closer to Lance and took a look at his drawing, “Wouldn’t you be better asking your art teacher who happens to be sitting right across from us?”

 

“I’d rather not get up while I’m all comfy in a blanket.” Lance sighed, “So that’s a no.”

 

“You have a blanket? And you’re not sharing with me while I’m freezing my ass off here?” Keith frowned. “Give me some of that.”

 

Lance sighed, “Fine, fine. No need to be moody.”

 

“Says the man who said hours ago that was a thing they liked about me.”

 

Lance smirked and threw half of his blanket over Keith’s legs, moving a bit closer so that the two were able to share it together. He wouldn’t admit out loud that he gave Keith the majority of the warm side so that he wouldn’t be could nor he moved closer to him just to feel the heat radiate off his body. He didn’t need the fire to stay warm, just having Keith by his side was enough to make his body melt.

 

While he continued to sketch the threes, Keith slowly made his way closer to Lance to the point that he rested his head on Lance’s shoulder. Lance didn’t pay much attention to it, but his heart couldn’t help but skip a bit from the slightly affectionate gesture. Keith continued to watch him draw for the last hour until the fire began to die down, Lance looking to his shoulder to see that Keith had fallen asleep some time during the duration of his sketching.

 

Lance would never admit that he wrapped Keith up in his blanket and carried him to his tent, laying him down onto his sleeping bag and making sure he was all covered up and warm. He would never admit that he fluffed up his pillow and kept checking to make sure Keith was okay before he got himself situated in his own sleeping bag, and he would never admit that he moved both their bags to one side of the tent in order to sleep closer to him.

 

And finally, Lance would never admit that he pressed a kiss onto Keith’s cheek and whispered goodnight to him. Because it was the moments like them that Lance treasured the most as he was the only one to know about them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The camping arc was actually the first thing I came up with for this fic, so writing it will be super easy for me since I have the majority of it planned! It's a v e r y important arc and it will be quite a few chapters long. But do not threat, theres still a ton of content to come. I predict that this fic will have around 15-20 chapters as of right now and it is subjected to have more in the near future.
> 
> And I'll say this now ... The NSFW tag comes into play in this arc, just if you wanted to know. I'll warn if the chapter contains NSFW and where you can skip it if you wish to not read NSFW^^
> 
> Thanks for reading though if you've made it this far! Next update, like last time, will be in 1-2 weeks.
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	8. Stuffing the Crust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one of the camping trip begins! Lance explains how to finger a bow, the sexual tension is thicker than a thick crust pizza, according to Pidge, and Lance finally comes to a conclusion with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> midterms are coming up so im getting this chapter out before they begin. after that, i should hopefully be getting a new laptop so writing will be a bit faster for me^^ 
> 
> until midterms are over, i wont be able to respond to comments on here but i will try my best to read them/reply to some later this week. thank you all so much!^^
> 
> anyways... though the new voltron season was a but "meh" there were some good parts to it! i'm looking forward to season five and hoping they clear the unsolved questions there. you're always welcome to add me on discord/follow me on tumblr to talk about it if you wish (when i'm able to reply)!
> 
> now, enjoy the new chapter! the sexual tension is... well uh, quite strong in this one? c;

Pidge sighed, scratching their arm which was now covered in multiple bug bites. “If only the joys of nature wasn’t interrupted by  _ bugs.” _

 

“I always forget you’re a bug magnet, Pidge.” Hunk shook his head, handing them a bottle of bug spray. “This is all I have, so try not to go too heavy on it but yet again… Protect yourself as best as you can.”

 

Gladly accepting the bottle of bug spray, Pidge began to coat their arms and legs in bug spray and ever spraying some over their head. Hunk sat watching amused while Shiro and Allura, whom were sitting on the other side of the picnic table, sat side-by-side leaning on each other watching as well. Allura let out a small laugh, while Shiro watched Pidge with a concerned glare.

 

“Do you have any long sleeved shirts or pants you can wear that can maybe prevent bugs from biting you?” Shir asked, while Pidge shook their head.

 

“I only wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts, sadly. I don’t own a pair of long pants or shirts.” Pidge threw the nearly empty bottle onto the table, “But even if I did, bugs would bite me no matter what. It just happens when I go camping or go to humid areas.”

 

Shiro sighed, “That must suck.”

 

“Pidge will survive, they’re tough despite being small.” Hunk joked, shoving Pidge’s shoulder playfully. “In all honesty, I think Pidge has the most willpower than Lance and I combined.”

 

“Speaking of Lance…” Allura finally spoke, glancing over towards the tent that was occupied by both Lance and Keith. “Are the two still in the tent together or did they wake up before us?”

 

Pidge laughed, “Are you kidding me? We’re talking about Lance here, the  _ most  _ laziest person in this group and the one who can actually sleep for a whole day.”

 

“He has done that multiple times …” Hunk muttered, and Shiro let out a laugh of his own.

 

“Well, Lance will be Lance. Keith, however … He isn’t much of a sleeper, so I was surprised to see him fall asleep against Lance last night.”

 

“That was utterly adorable yet disgusting.” Pidge groaned, “It’s so obvious to us yet so oblivious to the two of them, but something tells me that they are both aware of their feelings but are too scared to admit them to each other.”

 

“I think Pidge may be right there,” Allura sighed, wrapping her arm around Shiro’s waist. “But we shouldn’t force the two of them to just confess just because it suits us. We should allow them to take all the time they need, make baby steps towards comfortability, and … To just fall in love naturally if they really do like each other. That’s how it happened with Shiro and I, and it may just happen to both Keith and Lance.”

 

“You two were made for each other, Allura.” Hunk laughed, smiling. “But Lance and Keith are nearly polar  _ opposites _ .”

 

“You know what they say about opposites,” Shiro began, his gaze landing onto Pidge to finish his sentence. They happy obliged, giving him a thumbs up while smirking.

 

“In scientific terms most of the time and  _ perhaps _ couples, opposites attract!”

 

The group laughed for a moment until it was soon interrupted by the sound of yelling, and then a grunt of what sounded like utter pain. All four of them turned immediately to the sound of the noise; the tent where Lance and Keith were supposedly sleeping. Unfortunately, they had no idea what the hell was going on inside the tent, but they soon got the jist of it as the two began to bicker loudly from within.

 

“W-what the hell was that for?!” Lance yelled, though his voice sounded as if he were in pain.

 

“Why the hell are you sleeping  _ right _ next to me?!” Keith exclaimed, his voice sounding tired and rough. ”I told you yesterday while unpacking that if you wrap your arms around me I would kick you in the balls!”

 

“I didn’t think you meant it-!” Lance groaned, “God dammit, dude! Thanks for  _ fucking _ giving me a nice wakeup call!”

 

“Didn’t you also say you were going to sleep on the opposite side of the tent?! Why did you sleep next to me in the first place?!”

 

_ “You  _ fell asleep on  _ me _ sitting around the campfire last night, Mullet Head! I carried you all the way back to the tent,  _ unzipped _ the tent while holding you on my back, and put you in the sleeping bag while all making sure not to wake you up!” Lance’s voice cracked, “Not only that, I fucking gave you my blanket to make sure you stayed warm since it was cold, and this is the fucking thanks I get?!”

 

It was silent and the group continued to stare at the tent in awe, even Pidge looked concerned. The silence dragged on for a few more moment before the sound of a zipper was heard, and Keith emerged from the tent with his brows furrowed. His lips moved yet they couldn’t hear what he said, so before closing the tent back up Keith had whispered something to Lance. 

 

After zipping the tent back up, Keith turned to face the group. His face immediately morphed into shock as he saw the four of them staring at him with stern gazes, Shiro with the most reprimanding gaze of them all. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with one arm while the other was placed against his hip.

 

“Look guys-” Keith began, “What you heard was merely just ‘Lance and Keith’ talk, you won’t understand.”

 

Shiro sighed, “That didn’t sound like friendly talk to us.”

 

“I-I …” Keith sighed, shaking his head and walking towards the table. “I don’t want to talk about it, so please guide me to where I can get some food because I’m hungry.”

 

The group decided to not push him any more and pointed towards a cooler place at the end of the table, Keith nodding a thanks before walking towards it and opening it. While he was grabbing a muffin, the tent unzipped once again and Lance emerged looking tired and worn out. He closed the tent and walked over to the table, his face plastered with anger.

 

“Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Pidge began, smirking. “Or … In this situation,  _ tent.” _

 

“Just because you heard our little chat doesn’t mean you have the right to butt in, Pidge.” Lance spat, sitting right next to them despite being angry. “It was just friendly talk, you don’t have to worry about it one bit.”

 

Hunk pursed his lips, “That’s what you call friendly talk?”

 

“It … Didn’t sound like friendly talk.” Allura sighed, rolling her eyes. “But perhaps you and Keith just have a different level of friendship for any of us to understand.”

 

“That’s exactly it.” Lance nodded, leaning over to grab a muffin for himself from the cooler. “Keith and I have a different bond and that’s all you need to know!”

 

As Lance was taking a bite out of his muffins, Pidge nudged him and leaned over to whisper into his ear.

 

“Bond as in …  _ Boyfriends?” _

 

Lance began to choke on his muffin, his fist banging onto the table while Hunk and Allura watched horrified. Keith and Shiro stared at him with semi-concerned expressions, while Pidge was laughing smugly. After recovering from choking on his breakfast, Lance shoved the rest of his muffin into his mouth somehow and turned to face Pidge, pointing his finger into their face.

 

“You make me choke like that ever again and I’ll release bugs into your room to bite you.”

 

Pidge remained silent for the rest of the duration of breakfast.

 

* * *

 

After an eventful morning, Coran returned from his morning hike while the other prepared for the long afternoon. It was decided that all of them as a group would hike up to the archery range a few miles away and then go onto one of the river trails. Lance felt the excitement burst in his chest at the thought of doing archery, it was one of his rarity favourite activities and he couldn’t put into words how he felt.

 

“Lance, you’re bouncing up and down.” Hunk observed, laughing while swinging his backpack over his shoulders. “Are you that excited for archery?”

 

“Hell fucking  _ yeah _ I am!” Lance grinned, “It’s the one thing I excel at over all of you, I’m ready to win no matter what!”

 

“Do you have to turn everything into a competition?” Shiro chuckled, “Though … I must admit, out of all the times we've done it together you have always emerged the winner.”

 

“Keith will be in for a shock once he sees Lance’s skills.” Pidge whistled, pushing their head back and using an elastic headband to keep their bangs back. “I bet he’ll go into it thinking he’ll be the best at it won’t he, Shiro?”

 

Shiro shrugged, and Hunk let out a laugh.

 

“Let’s hope Keith is impressed rather than … Angry.”

 

The four stood waiting for the others to join up with them, Keith soon joining the group while Allura and Coran were the last ones to arrive.

 

“Is everyone all here and ready?” Coran looked around to check, and all six nodded in approval.

 

“Ready when you are, sir!” Pidge saluted, Coran laughing while turning his back and beginning to make his way towards the direction of the archery range.

 

“Of course you all are, let’s go!”

 

Since the path wasn’t very big, the the group paired off for the duration of the hike into groups of two. Coran was the leading man so he remained alone at the front, Hunk and Pidge followed after him, Lance was paired off with Keith (of course-- how could he not?), and Allura nd Shiro were at the back taking their time together. Keith kept looking behind his shoulder at the couple every couple of minutes and Lance took note of it, eventually smirking and shoving his shoulder playfully as he began to do it again.

 

“Why do you keep looking back at Shiro and Allura?” Lance asked, “Are you concerned they’ll fall behind? Because you don’t need to worry, Shiro knows the way by heart.”

 

Keith sighed, “No- It’s not that, I … I just worry about him sometimes.”

 

“You? Worrying about Shiro?” Lance asked, and Keith nodded while crossing his arms across his chest.

 

“Yeah, I mean he worries over me all the time and I just feel bad. I understand that he’s technically my older brother and older brothers do that, but I worry about him just being worried over my well being all the time. I’m fine, but … He seems to think otherwise most of the time.”

 

Lance sighed, placing his arms behind his head and looking up at the trees. He thought for a moment before speaking, wanting to say the words right by reciting them in his head before he let his mind speak for his mouth.

 

“I wish I could say to tell him to stop worrying about you, but I can understand where Shiro is coming from.” Lance smiled, “I’m an older brother too, and even if my mother or my sibling tells me they’re okay, I still worry about them. I may be miles away from them right now, but I still worry over them to the point where I can’t sleep at night. Its … It’s just things we do for the people we love and care about, Keith.”

 

“Oh …” Keith looked down at the dirt, “Is that so?”

 

“Yeah, it’s just an older sibling trait and we can’t help it.” Lance chuckled, glancing back over to Keith. “Shiro is a family man and so am I, so it’s natural for the two of us to just worry over our siblings no matter what. Besides … It’s not just my siblings and family I worry about, it’s …”

 

Lance paused and pressed his lips together, soon shaking his head and allowing his mind to complete the sentence in his head instead of speaking out loud.

 

_ I worry about my friends and not only them, you. _

 

“It’s …?” Keith pressed, and Lance let out a laugh before Keith could ask any more. He shooked his head and allowed the smile to grow across his face, reaching over to Keith to ruffle his hair up.

 

“It’s nothing, I’ll tell you when I feel like I have the guts.”

 

Keith chuckled, “Okay, I’m holding you against that and I expect to hear your answer when you’re ready.”

 

It took a little over an hour to reach the archery course which was surrounded by the thick redwood trees, and Lance couldn’t hold his excitement any long. As soon as Lance’s eyes caught a glimpse of the range from far away he couldn’t help but pick up his pace in order to reach it faster. He just couldn’t help it; he felt his inner child begin to emerge and nothing was going to stop him now.

 

“Woah there, Lance.” Hunk laughed, “Calm down there, you’re way too excited.”

 

“Sorry, Hunk. I just can’t help it.” Lance grinned, he and Keith finally catching up with Pidge and Hunk. “This is always my favourite part of the trip because I’m going to kick all of your asses!”

 

Keith frowned, “Is he turning archery into a competition?”

 

“Unfortunately, yes.” Pidge sighed, though the soon turned to face Keith with a smile. “But I have to say, Lance’s skill in archery is far superior than any of us in this group. I’m not exaggerating either.”

 

“Lance is our sharpshooter, Keith.” Shiro spoke from behind them, he and Allura catching up. “His aim is like no one else and it perfect every single time. You have to see it to believe it.”

 

“Well, if that is true-” Allura spoke, “I cannot wait to see Lance excel at another skill other than art.”

 

The group followed Coran to the range and placed their bags down before getting ready. The park ranger gave them the basic rundown on the equipment and the range before going over a few basic rules and giving them the green light. He also helped them get their equipment and within a few minutes everyone was suited up and ready to hit the range.

 

“Everyone one knows what they’re doing, right?” Coran made sure, and everyone nodded.

 

“I’ll help Allura, but I think everyone else has done it before.” Shiro said, “Oh- Actually, Lance?”

 

Lance turned to face Shiro while making sure the strings on his bow were tight enough to his liking. As soon as his gaze met his, he knew the smirk on Shiro’s face all too well to know what he was about to say.

 

“Keith might need a little help at first, so could you please help him until he gets the hang of it?”

 

Resisting the urge to drop his bow to the ground and his jaw, Lance quickly put on a shaky smile and did a weak salute towards Shiro.

 

“O-of course! Anything you say, man!”

 

Shiro smirked and nodded his head before turning to Allura and beginning to prep her. Lance watched him for a minute handle Allura with care before turning to face Keith with a bright red face, his heart pounding against his chest. He wished he could be just as affectionate and caring with Keith right now but he didn’t want to get punched in the face today since his manhood already suffered in the morning. 

 

Sighing, Lance rubbed the back of his head and pursed his lips. “So …” He began, “You’ve never done archery before?”

 

Keith shrugged, “Never have.”

 

“Okay, I’m not much of a teacher so I’ll have you watch me first so you get the jist of it.” Lance announced, walking over to the designated shooting spot and grabbing an arrow. “I’ll explain what to do while I shoot, so watch and listen Mullet Head.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Keith chuckled, “I’ll watch you, _Lover Boy.”_

 

_ Oh my god. He’s trying to kill me here. _ Lance took a deep breath and grounded his feet despite his face getting painfully redder by the second.  _ I’m not going to be able to focus while he’s breathing down my back with the nicknames. _

 

“Y-yeah, sure Pizza Boy.” Lance stuttered, letting out a nervous laugh. “But I’m only doing this the once to put all your attention on me.”

 

Keith whistled and Lance forced himself to roll his eyes, once again trying to get into position.

 

“Alright,” Lance began, grounding his feet. “They key to shooting right is the placement of your feet and your posture. Your stance needs to be upright with your feet shoulder width apart; no more or no less and at 90 degrees.” Lance gripped the bow and pulled it up into position, “Don’t hold onto the handle too hard, your grip needs to be relaxed and placed on the bow handle every time you shoot.”

 

Lance grabbed his arrow and placed it in position, “The bow needs to be facing horizontal at all times as well, and your arrow rest should be facing upwards. Place your arrow on the arrow rest and then draw your bowstring back like so.” He pulled the string back, looking over to Keith. “Position your fingers on the string with your index finger above the arrow, the other two below, and made sure they aren’t slanted at all. Also, use your back muscles while drawing the string and make sure not to touch the arrow at all. The arrow should just rest underneath your chin while the string touches your nose and lips. Now … Use your dominant eye and aim.”

 

Lance turned his gaze back to the target at took a deep breath, steadying himself while he aimed at the target. After a few short moment of deep focus, Lance allowed his fingers to draw back and released the arrow, watching it fly through the air and towards the target in a straight line.

 

He hit the target square in the middle.

 

Smiling widely, Lance turned to face Keith and gave him his final piece of instructions. “When releasing the arrow, don’t tug the strings and instead just release the string by letting your fingers slip backwards. Maintain your body position as well and you should be your way on becoming a pro like  _ me!” _

 

“That’s … A lot to take in.” Keith admitted, furrowing his brows. “I don’t know if I’ll be good during my first tries but I guess I’ll try my best.”

 

The look plastered across Keith’s face made Lance throw out his competitive attitude completely and any sense of competition left in him. He didn’t want to leave Keith in the dirt while everyone ehad a good time, so instead of going on to shoot his own arrows he placed his bow onto a nearby table and walked back over towards Keith, standing only centimeters away from his back.

 

“Here … I-I’ll guide you with my hands.”

 

Placing his hands on Keith’s hips, Lance gulped while sucking in a shaky breath. He couldn’t see Keith’s face, but he wondered if he too was getting all nervous from the close proximity of their bodies. Lance wasn’t too sure if the heat from his face could be felt by Keith or not, but he certainly could feel it.

 

“Right, try parting your feet at 90 degrees for me first.” Lance instructed, and Keith did exactly as he was told. “Okay, next make sure your posture is straight and composed.”

 

Keith attempted to keep his back straight, but Lance knew his balance was off and he quickly moved his hands to his back to straighten him out. His heart was beating terribly hard against his chest and Lance hoped his hands weren't too clammy or sweaty for Keith as he felt like his mind was going to burst at any given moment. Every second his hands remained on Keith Lance felt a spark in his heart, and he knew if this went on for any longer it would become a problem.

 

“T-there you go.” Lance finally fixed Keith’s posture, removing his hands from his body. “That’s good enough. Now try drawing and arrow and placing it in the arrow rest while also pulling the bow string back.”

 

Keith nodded his head and did exactly what he was told, even doing it correctly without Lance having to step in. Lance couldn’t help but let the faintest of kind smiles spread along his lips as he watched Keith trying his best, his heart beating for a whole new reason other than embarrassment. 

 

“Good, Keith!” Lance exclaimed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Now, focus all your energy into maintaining your posture and focus on the target with your dominant eye. When you feel ready, let your fingers relax and fall back, releasing the arrow.”

 

Taking one last glance towards Lance, Keith turned back to focus his gaze onto the target meters away. As he was focusing on it, Lance realized that his posture began to falter and he wasted no time to place his hands back onto his hips and back in order to make sure he was stable enough. Lance leaned close to his ear and began to whisper lowly, unintentionally lowly of course.

 

“Don’t worry, Keith. I’m here for you so let go whenever you want.”

 

A few short moments later, Keith let go of the bowstring and the arrow went flying towards the target. Lance could easily tell it would hit it without a doubt, the angle was just right and the arrow wasn’t losing its altitude. However, he wasn’t expecting the arrow to hit smack center of the target and  _ through _ the haystack behind it.

 

Lance felt his hands tense up on Keith’s hips and his mouth drop to the floor, Keith too seeming shock that he had just shot the arrow through the target. The two men stood there silent for a moment before Keith turned to face Lance, a wide smile plastered across his face.

 

“We did it, Lance!” Keith exclaimed, “We hit the arrow right in the bullseye and through the entire thing!”

 

“W-we?!” Lance felt his face, once again, grow warm. His hands were still placed on Keith’s hips firmly. “That was all you, Keith. Honestly!”

 

Keith shook his head, his cheeks slightly tinged red. “No, Lance. If you weren’t here, I … I really wouldn’t have been able to do that all by myself. You helped me every step of the way, so … T-thank you?”

 

Lance stared at Keith in utter awe for a minute before he had to break his gaze and stare at the ground, his face beyond red at this point. He cleared his throat and felt his hands tense up around Keith’s waist.

 

“Y-yeah, sure. I’ll go ahead and take my hands off your waist now and let you do your own shooting since you seem to be capable of doing archery now-”

 

As soon as Lance attempted to remove his hands from Keith’s waist, Keith suddenly laced his arms around Lance’s body and pushed his body against his roughly. Lance let out a soft grunt as he felt his whole body press against Keith’s, and he was now one hundred percent sure Keith could feel his heart beating against his chest. Looking at Keith for an answer, Keith only smiled, and bit down on his lower lip, his gaze glued onto Lance’s eyes.

 

“No need to be shy,  _ Lover Boy.” _ He whispered, “If your hands are comfortable where they are, then why need to pull away so quickly and so soon?”

 

Lance felt his mouth go dry and his blood rush south, his mind and mouth at a loss of words. Keith seemed to like his reaction as his voice dropped yet another level, his face moving a bit closer towards Lance’s.

 

“Hm? You’re surprised? I don’t blame you, but the way you describe how to shoot a bow was really attractive, y’know?”

 

“K-Keith, b-buddy-” Lance finally stuttered, but still at a loss for words. “T-the others-”

 

“I don’t  _ care _ if anyone sees this.” Keith said, “Because I honestly think they’re more aware of it than we are and I’m not going to hold myself back anymore.”

 

Keith’s face stopped centimeters away from Lance’s face, and he could feel his breath all across his face. Lance wasn’t sure if Keith’s face was predatorial or lustful, but in the end he decided it was a mix of both and he didn’t know whether to be turned on or scared.

 

He decided both was the right answer once again.

 

“I’ll go ahead and leave you with this before we … Go on shooting for ourselves.” Keith smirked, “Let it be a punishment for sleeping next to me last night and wrapping your arms around me. If you want to be that close to me, then think of the  _ consequences.” _

 

Before Lance could ask Keith to clarify what he meant, Keith suddenly pressed his lips against the crook of his neck and bit down hard. Lance couldn’t help but let out the softest of moans escape out of his mouth before he bit down on his lower lip to limit any other sounds escape from his mouth. He could feel Keith’s tongue run across his skin before he sucked down hard, soon releasing his mouth from his skin and letting his arms go from Lance’s body. He smirked one last time before completely turning away from Lance and proceeding to pick up his bow, draw and arrow, and resume like nothing had happened.

 

Lance stood there dumbfounded, completely confused and unsure what to make out of that encounter. Part of him was extremely turned on and  _ really _ wanted it to continue, but Lance knew now he was more confused then ever.

 

Did that mean … Keith  _ liked _ him?

 

For the rest of the duration of the archery trip, Lance couldn’t focus. And for the first time in archery history, Lance came second and Pidge was the reigning champion.

 

* * *

 

 

After their heated encounter, Keith and Lance went on the rest of the hiking journey  _ completely _ ignoring each other. Actually-- It was more Lance ignoring Keith because he couldn’t control his damn blood from going south without thinking of what the hell had happened back at the archery range.

 

When walking along the river trail, Lance decided to walk next to Hunk while Pidge walked with Keith as he really needed to talk to someone about this. Hunk was the only one he could trust to keep this a secret, and he also knew he would be reasonable and not make fun of him and instead actually help him. There was no way he could talk to Shiro or Pidge about this for …  _ Multiple _ reasons.

 

“Wait, wait.” Hunk looked at Lance with a confused expression, “He did  _ what!?” _

 

“Exactly!” Lance groaned, throwing his arms up in the air. “It seemed so damn random and now I’m more confused than ever! Does he like me?! Is he messing with me?! I know that there may be a chance I’m attracted to him but I don’t know what to do anymore!”

 

“Lance, I think you need to calm down first.” Hunk explained, sighing and placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder reassuringly. “I understand your frustrations and I really want to help you, but I think you need to calm down first before you burst a blood vessel.”

 

Lance sighed, “You’re right … I think we need to sit down and talk alone though without the others around us because I really need to have a serious chat without Shiro being nearby and Pidge  _ completely  _ away from me.”

 

Hunk stopped walking for a second before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting towards the rest of the group who were a few feet ahead. “Hey, guys! Lance and I are going to take a few minutes to do something but we’ll meet up with you in a few minutes!”

 

Coran waved at the two of them, letting them know that was okay but to catch up sooner rather than later. Hunk directed Lance to a fallen down tree and sat on top of the log, Lance choosing to lean against it with his arms stuffed into his pockets instead of sitting. It was silent for a moment before Hunk cleared his throat, grabbing Lance’s attention.

 

“Talk to me, Lance. Tell me what your  _ exact _ feelings are towards Keith and whether you actually like him for who he is.”

 

“I …” Lance sighed, finally giving in and letting his head drop down. “I admit it. I like Keith. Not in a buddy buddy kind of way, but in a way where I want to get romantically invested into him. I just think … Everytime I think about him, I want to do  _ everything  _ for him and make sure he’s okay no matter what. I want to wrap my arms around his body, I want to press kisses onto his face and lips, and most importantly I want to be a part of his life. Is … Is that too hard for me to ask for?”

 

Hunk smiled, “Aw, Lance. You’re being all affectionate and caring  _ finally.  _ We were all wondering when you would finally come clean on your feelings and you finally have.”

 

“Yeah, but … I don’t know how Keith feels about me.” Lance admitted, “Or whether he wants to get invested in a romantic relationship. He seems like the kind of guy to do a one night stand kind of thing and then run away from people to never see them again.”

 

“And that’s why you’re afraid to tell him your feelings?” Hunk pressed, and Lance nodded his head.

 

“Exactly. I haven’t asked what his previous relationships have been or even his sexuality, but I think after today I can easily guess that he is most definitely not straight” He chuckled, “But … I don’t think he wants to be in a relationship. That’s what's worrying me.”

 

“Well,” Hunk began, “I think the only way you’ll find out is if you have a talk with Keith. Admit how you feel about him and ask him what he thinks about you. However, you need to be prepared for his answer and if you do get rejected, Lance. Keith is a bit of an unpredictable person as you already know, but I think you should look at the more positive things that could come out of it.”

 

Lance raised his head back up and looked up at the trees, his mind running through the dozens of thoughts that all related to Keith. He knew though, that no matter what his thoughts were that he in the end had to admit his feelings to Keith and hope for the best.

 

If he didn’t, he surely would regret it later in life.

 

“... What do you think the chances are of Keith and I being an actual couple?” Lance whispered, and Hunk let out a laugh before he answered.

 

“Lance, I’ve seen the way Keith looks at you when you’re not paying attention. And all I can say is that I’ve never seen another man or woman look at you with such care and affection than Keith has in the past few months.”

 

Lance sighed, “... Right.”

 

The two were silent for a few minutes, staring at the forest scenery before Hunk got off the log and picked up his backpack from the ground. He swing it around his shoulders and tightened the straps before nudging Lance and flashing him a big smile before beginning to walk in the direction of where the rest of the group were.

 

It only took a few minutes to catch up to them, they were waiting for Hunk and Lance around an area free of trees. Before the two reached the group, Lance stopped and turned to face Hunk, a determined smile plastered across his lips.

 

“Hey, thanks for the help for the millionth time.” Lance said, “You should really become a therapist or something because you can really solve a problem.”

 

Hunk shooked his head, continuing to walk towards the group. “For you, I’ll be a therapist. But my true passion will always lie in the art of cooking.”

 

Lance laughed, walking next to Hunk until they reached the group. Pidge was the first one to greet them, flashing them a wide grin as Shiro and Allura welcomed them with kind expressions.

 

“It’s about time you two showed up!” Pidge exclaimed, “We still have a couple of miles to the river but when we get there we’re going to have lunch!”

 

“Thanks for waiting for us you guys!” Hunk laughed, “Now let’s hurry up to the river so we can have a nice relaxing lunch so we don’t have to hurry back to the campsite.”

 

Everyone couldn’t agree more, so they broke off into pairs of two once again and began to hike their way downhill towards their destination. This time, Lance wanted to walk next to Keith seeing as he had his mind and thought all staighten and sorted out. He was happy to see Keith had a smile on his own face, and right away he turned to face Lance and wasted no time in talking to him.

 

“Are you doing okay?” Keith asked, “I have to admit, I was a bit concerned when you stopped with Hunk.”

 

“I’m fine, man. Don’t worry about it.” Lance chuckled, “I just had to get a few things off my mind before I continued on.”

 

“Mmm. I see.” Keith sighed, “As long as you’re okay, then I am.”

 

Lance raised an eyebrow, “Jeez, you’re being super nice to me today Mr. Mullet. Care to explain why?”

 

“Jeez, alright then.” Keith rolled his eyes and instantly the smile was gone from his lips. “There you go, your regular Pizza Guy Keith is back. May I take your order?”

 

“Oh, sure.” Lance joked, “Are you Pizza Hut? Because  _ I  _ want to stuff  _ your  _ crust.”

 

In front of them, Pidge was drinking water and immediately spat it out and began to choke on the remnants. As they attempted to catch their breath, Lance couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh and even Keith couldn’t resist laughing himself. Hunk just glared at the two with a knowing gaze, and when Pidge finally regained the ability to talk and breath, they wasted no time in beginning their attack.

 

“Fuck you, Lance!” They groaned, “You just had to go ahead and say that horrible pizza pun right as I was drinking my water, way to go!”

 

“Hey, now!” Lance raised his hands up defensively, “I wasn’t the one who chose to drink water at the time I said my  _ beautiful _ pick up line.”

 

Pidge rolled their eyes, turning their gaze around to back in front of them. “Well, I’ll tell you one thing that isn't beautiful. That fucking hickey on your neck. Tell Keith to be a little less obvious next time he decides to mark you like an animal right in front of my eyes.”

 

Lance’s laughter seemed to have stopped right when it had just began, but Keith’s continued for the majority of the trip to the river.

 

However, though he may have been pissed off at Pidge’s remark, he couldn’t help but like the fact that Keith had left a mark on him. Even if it did happen to be a spur of the moment thing, it seemed to have made Keith happier than when they left their campsite that morning.

 

So in that case, it was a win-win situation for Lance. He had a somewhat of an affection mark from Keith and most of all he was happy.

  
He just hoped  _ maybe _ one day he could get more on his neck and body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meanwhile, pidge and hunk watching keith and lance doing archery together: "The sexual tension here is through the roof."
> 
> and shiro and allura were surprisingly oblivious to it while coran had no care in the world.
> 
> good news for the NSFW tag: it's happening in the next chapter, so a little heads up there^^ this is the turning point where all the tags and rating begins to come into play so buckle up. NSFW will be present from now on starting next chapter.
> 
> thanks for reading once again! you're all awesome and amazing okay and don't let anyone else say otherwise :]
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	9. Bonus - Keith's Birthday!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Keith! A little bonus in celebration of his birthday that is part of the camping trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to Keith! His birthday is the day right after mine which feels extra special to me since he's my favourite character^^
> 
> I decided to write this little add-on to the last chapter as a birthday special and is not a new chapter whatsoever but it's some extra Klance content for you all.
> 
> Enjoy!~

“Y’know,” Lance began, taking a sip from his water bottle. “I forgot to ask when your birthday was, Keith.”

 

Keith scrunched up his face, thinking for a short moment. “You haven’t asked?”

 

“Nope, I’ve been friends with you for months now and I don’t know when your birthday is still.” Lance chuckled, “You’d think that would be one of the first things to ask you but …”

 

 _“But”,_ Keith began, rolling his eyes playfully. “We were arguing and bickering too much to even have time to ask all that jazz, weren’t we?”

 

“Yeah, that’s exactly it.” Lance laughed, “So why don’t you tell me when your birthday is, Pizza Boy.”

 

Keith placed his sandwich back into the wrap and wiped the crumbs off his gloves, taking a moment to finish chewing his food before answering Lance’s request.

 

“October 23rd.” Keith finally said, clearing his throat. “Quite far away since we’re only on spring break, so do what you wish with that lovely information.”

 

Lance whistled, “Wow … That certainly is quite a long way away, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, but I don’t really make a big deal out of birthdays in all honesty.” Keith said, sighing. “It’s just a day where I grow one more year closer to death.”

 

“Jeez, way to put a damper on the day you were born.” Lance grumbled, “Have you ever had like, a birthday party or hangout or have you _never_ celebrated it?”

 

“Maybe when I was younger, but I can’t exactly remember. I just remember the past years living with Shiro I haven’t celebrated it at all.”

 

Lance put a hand to his chin, clearly in deep thought. Keith stared at him with a confused expression, raising an eyebrow and wondering what on earth he was thinking about or whether he should be concerned _what_ he was thinking about. Nevertheless, after Lance thought for a solid minute, he quickly looked around his surroundings then began to scramble around the rocks, seeming to be looking for something in particular.

 

“Uh …” Keith’s expression only got more concerned, “What are you doing now, Lance?”

 

“Shhh-!” Lance hushed Keith, “I’m doing something, give me a moment to find them!”

 

Keith sighed, defeated and just deciding to let Lance be Lance. It wasn’t after a few minutes when Keith finally realized what Lance was looking for; Flowers. All different colors and sizes of flowers.

 

“There we go!” Lance huffed, a wide spreading across his face. “Now give me a couple of minutes to work with them-”

 

Keith remained silent, no longer confused but interested in what Lance was planning. He was 75% sure he knew what Lance was planning to make out of the flowers, but he knew Lance could always have another plan up his sleeve. Lance was a man of many wonders, so many endless wonders and Keith was growing more and more desperate to explore every passing moment he spent with him.

 

Though after a minute or two, it was obvious to Keith that Lance was most definitely making a flower crown. He was weaving the blue and red flowers together with such care and every time he made the slightest of mistakes he would mutter something in spanish but continue working like nothing happened. Keith couldn’t help but feel his heart speed up at the thought of the amount of effort Lance was putting into something so simple, yet he knew it meant more to him.

 

“Done!” Lance finally announced, holding the flower crown to Keith’s head. “Red and blue; the the two of our favourite colors combined together!”

 

Placing the crown on the top of his head, Keith felt his face warm up at the thought that Lance specifically made this not only with him in his mind, but himself as well. It meant more than a gift to Keith, it was something made with the thought of the two of them together, and that single thought was enough to send his heart fluttering.

 

“U-uh …” Keith stuttered, biting down on his lower lip .”What was thing for, Lance? It it supposed to be some sort of early birthday gift?”

 

“No, a _late_ one and something you can hopefully treasure.” Lance smiled, resting his head against his knees. “It doesn’t matter that I only met you a few months ago, you deserve something that symbolizes our … F-friendship, yeah. I thought it would be something nice.”

 

Keith smiled, unable to hold back his fondness. “It’s … It’s really nice, Lance. Thank you so much.”

 

“You’re scaring me with how nice you’re being to me right now.” Lance chuckled, “You’re not supposed to be angelic and stuff, you’re supposed to be that grumpy pizza guy who rolls his eyes and listens to gothy emo music.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose I am that. But, I’m always nice and sappy around those I like.” Keith smirked, raising an eyebrow at Lance to see his reaction.

 

As expected, he began to turn red and turned his head away and muttered something under his breath. Keith laughed, standing up from the rock he was sitting on and packing the rest of his food and water away into his backpack and cleaning the crumbs off his body.

 

“Come on, Lover Boy. The others are getting ready to head back to the campsite, so we should get ready too.”

 

Lance nodded and began to pack up his own stuff, strapping his backpack to his back and making sure they had gathered everything before walking towards the group. However, since they were surrounded by rocks, Keith was struggling to walk up and eventually found himself slipping on an in particular wet rock. He felt himself loose his footing and thought he was going to hit his face to the ground, closing his eyes and preparing for the pain.

 

However, before his body fell forward, he felt someone grasp onto his hand and tug him back up straight, their hand still gripping onto his even after he has regained his balance. Keith opened his eyes and turned to who caught him, Lance staring at him with full-blown eyes.

 

“Hey, man!” He exclaimed, “Watch where you’re walking, I don’t want you breaking your skull or something!”

 

Keith sighed, “I won’t die, I promise.”

 

“I didn’t say anything about a promise or _death."_  Lance scoffed, continuing to walk while holding Keith’s hand. “Anyways, if you cracked your skull and died I would have brought you back to life just to kill you again for doing something so stupid.”

 

“That … That sounds rather lovely and nice.” Keith whistled, raising his eyebrows. “Maybe I’ll consider cracking my skull on a rock now.”

 

 _“Don’t.”_ Lance whispered softly, and Keith couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh as the two walked hand-in-hand towards the others. As soon as they all met up and made sure all was good, they began to make their way towards their campsite before sundown.

 

“So …” Keith looked down at their hands, still holding onto each other firmly and then back up to meet Lance’s gaze. “Are you gonna let go any time soon or are we bonded until we get back to the camp?”

 

Lance sighed, looking away from Keith. “No, I don’t trust you to fall again and get injured.”

 

“Is that just and excuse to hold onto my hand longer?” Keith asked him, and Lance slowly nodded his head and answered softly.

 

_“Yes.”_

Keith smiled once again, glancing up at the flower crown placed on top of his head one last time before keeping his eyes fixed on whatever was in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legit wrote this in half an hour in the middle of the night a few days ago because I wanted to celebrate his birthday lol.
> 
> Next chapter will hopefully be posted soon, I'm migrating all my files to my new laptop soon so hopefully that won't take too long. Tumblr is the best place to know if there's any updates or delays by searching "Slife of life fic" on my profile search bar.
> 
> Also reminder NSFW is in the next chapter, I'll warn again at the beginning of the chapter but as I said on the last update all the tags and rating begins to come into play as of now. I'll also get to reading the comments later this week, promise^^
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	10. Mouth Full of Pizza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the second official day of the camping trip, Keith attempts to take it easy after loosing his control partially the other day.
> 
> However, after some sudden revelations, Keith isn't so sure how to feel anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie this is a long chapter. I've been so busy the past few weeks that i haven't had time to write or go on Tumblr at all barely, I've only had time the past two days to write since i injured my back ;o; Moving boxes is really a lot of work;;
> 
> This chapter is a bit of a treat for you all. It's nearly 10k which is A LOT since I've only spent really two days on it, and it's got the first batch of NSFW in it. It's at the end so if you wish to skip it, you may stop and wait for the next chapter^^ 
> 
> I'll try and get to reading the months worth of comments I've missed ASAP when I get more time, I promise! It's just been so hectic with midterms and moving I haven't had the time. Just know that all your comments mean a lot and I'm very grateful to them!
> 
> Thanks for the kudos/support, and enjoy the new chapter! c: The chapter is also in Keith's perspective^^

Just before the sun completely set, the group made it back to their campsite safe and sound. Almost immediately upon their arrival, Hunk began to fix up a small meal for dinner while the rest of them unpacked their backpacks in the tents. Dinner was soon served, some simple pasta, and for the rest of the night the group sat around the campfire, unwinding from the eventful day.

 

Keith didn’t really say much during this time, especially while sitting around the campfire surrounded by everyone else. He occasionally glanced over to Lance, whom seemed to be in a very deep discussion with Allura about art, but other than that he thought about his actions through the day. Well… His  _ heated  _ actions, as par say.

 

When he went to sleep that night, Keith’s mind only seemed to get all the more complicated. He thought about his actions that morning when he first woke up, Lance’s gorgeous sleeping face right in front of his eyes, shocking him to the very core. He knew Lance was stupid, but he didn’t think he was stupid enough to ignore Keith’s cautions and actually plant his sleeping bag right next to him and  _ sleep _ by him. Even if his heart in the end was extremely happy that Lance had slept by him the whole night, wrap his arms around him and made sure he was warm through the night, Keith specifically asked Lance to sleep on the opposite side of the tent because of many reasons.

 

The main reason, however, was that Keith was starting to become quite irritable with his feelings with Lance, and he was starting to feel himself loose control of his whole actions. He was afraid one small action from Lance could prompt him to ravish him on the spot-- Well, not  _ ravish, _ but something close to making out with him. Maybe more.

 

Awaking in the middle of the night, Keith turned in the direction of where Lance was sleeping. He had moved his sleeping bag a few feet away, to both Keith’s liking and disliking, and was snoring away peacefully, unaware that Keith was watching him with a very attentive gaze. Keith sighed, feeling his cheeks heat up despite the bitter, cold air, and it took all his strength to not break out of his own sleeping bag, jump into Lance's, wrap his legs and arms around his body and to press a kiss onto his lips. What if Lance awoke and kissed him back? Well, Keith would happy take it a notch up, depending if Lance wanted to take it to the next level of course, and let his hands roam his body and feel every inch of him, tracing every divot and crook of his body and then-

 

Before his mind went too far, Keith quickly turned his body completely over, facing away from Lance and taking a deep breath. He slapped his cheeks and prayed to whatever god to not let his blood go south because there was no way in hell he was allowing his stupid self to get horny over Lance again.  _ This is ridiculous now.  _ Keith thought,  _ If I had a dollar for every time I got all worked up because of Lance, at this rate I would probably be able to buy a new motorcycle for myself. _

 

He eventually fell asleep once again and didn’t awake until the sun had risen, and Lance was still sleeping on his side of the tent when Keith awoke once again. This time, instead of gawping at Lance’s adorable sleeping face for too long, he immediately grabbed a towel, a set of clothes, and slipped on his shoes and exited the tent as fast as he could. As soon as he zipped it shut, he walked towards the bathrooms, which were luckily nearby, in hopes to a somewhat relieving shower.

 

The air was quite a bitter coldness against his skin, but in all honesty Keith couldn’t care less. It was still quite early as the other weren’t awake, but sleepless nights and waking up early were all too familiar with Keith. He wasn’t much of a sleeper, his thoughts tend to circulate more at night and prevent him from getting any shuteye 

 

He suddenly remembered the night where Lance slept in his dorm room, and the fact that Keith  _ actually _ got some decent sleep for once in his life. Not only that, didn’t he fall asleep against Lance the other night? He had been sharing a blanket with him, yet …

 

Keith sighed and rubbed his temples, walking into the bathroom and luckily finding it unoccupied. The showers were not clean yet not dirty, so he could live with it. He just didn’t want his skin to feel filthy the entire week of camping as being in the outdoors wasn’t exactly his thing. He placed his towel and clean clothes to the side and removed his pajamas, setting them off to the side as well and turning on the water. It took longer than the normal and typical shower to get somewhat warm, and Keith stood shivering until the water was nice enough to stand under.

 

Standing under the water and getting his whole body wet, Keith stood with his thoughts about Lance circulating through his head. He didn’t bother washing his hair nor his body, he just stood there in the water in… Thought. He was silent, his gaze fixated on the floor, his breathing shallow but normal, as the water ran down his body and down the drain.

 

“Lance …” Keith whispered unintentionally, his face starting to turn red.

 

Keith didn’t know what emotion he was feeling? Lust? Anger? Sadness? Frustration? Pent up sexual energy? He had no idea, perhaps it was a mix between all of them at once, but he knew it was a dangerous feeling. All he knew was that if Lance was around him right now it would be a far dangerous situation and he didn’t know what the hell would happen.

 

Groaning, Keith attempted to turn the water heat up a little bit and placed a hand against the wall, feeling the water trail down his body slightly warmer than before. Lance, Lance…  _ Lance. _ Where did he begin? How did he feel about him? Was this what love felt like? Keith thought love was some bullshit excuse to fuck someone at first, something he couldn’t exactly feel, but more and more over the past few months he was most likely beginning to understand what love was.

 

Was Keith in love? No, but falling in love? Maybe, just perhaps. With Lance? Most definitely.

 

But the main problem wasn’t his own feelings, Keith was having trouble trying to find out how Lance felt about  _ him.  _ His actions couldn’t necessarily speak for his mind, and besides, was Lance the relationship kind of guy? Keith didn’t know what kind of man Lance was when it came to relationships and he didn’t want to judge a book by it's cover, but the vibes Keith got from Lance were a “hit it then quit it” kind of vibe, and Keith didn’t want that at all. Yeah he likes guys and girls, but that’s all Keith knew about Lance when it came to relationships.

 

Keith didn’t want to “hook” up with Lance only to find out he didn’t like him or didn’t want to date him, Keith would feel like an absolute piece of shit. However, with the way his thoughts were currently going he wouldn’t mind having his way with him at this point. Lance, in his opinion, was naturally sexy and irresistible, and yet he was lovable in an adorable and charming way, His personality was an interesting one, he was a bit hot headed, but Keith loved every part of him. It was hard to find people who didn’t mind his… Well, Keith didn’t like using the word angsty, but he had a bit of a rebellious attitude, and Lance was able to keep up with it from the moment he met him.

 

Feeling his fist ball up against the wall, Keith let out a hot sigh and began to feel his blood rush south.  _ This is bad… _ He thought.  _ I’m growing more and more impatient every damn second I think about Lance. I feel like a hormonal teenager that never got their horny stage. What the fuck. _

 

Before his thought got too out of control for his liking, Keith quickly grabbed the shower handle and turned it onto the coldest temperature possible. He yelped and cursed at the sudden cold feeling, but immediately stopped his thought and blood going south for the time being. Letting his body shiver under the intense cold for a minute, Keith finally turned to water off and grabbed the towel in order to dry himself off. He was still cold while drying himself off, but he was thankful for it since it keeped his body from becoming a horny mess.

 

He dressed himself up in a clean pair of clothes before leaving the bathroom, walking back towards the campsite while managing to heat his body up. As Keith approached the campsite, he saw Pidge and Shiro sitting at the picnic table and approached them carefully, Shiro waving at him while Pidge raised their eyebrows.

 

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Keith.” Pidge chuckled, “I did hear you tossing and turning through the night, so I’m not surprised you look exhausted.”

 

Keith sighed, taking a seat by Shiro and shaking his head. 

 

“I wish I saw a ghost.”

 

* * *

 

 

Today was more of a relaxation day, according to Coran. Anyone could do anything they went since apparently the group was going on a major, long hike tomorrow into the mountains.

 

So everyone began to do their own thing. Pidge and Hunk decided to adventuring on their own around the area, Allura and Coran deciding to go “mice hunting”, whatever that meant, while Keith, Shiro, and Lance decided to stay at the campsite for the time being.

 

“Did you have fun at the archery range yesterday, Keith?” Shiro questioned, and Keith nodded his head.

 

“A bit hard, but I’m sure if I do it a few more times I’ll be able to beat Lance.” Keith grinned, “Are we going to do it again sometime this week?”

 

Shiro chuckled, “You really are particular on beating Lance on this, aren’t you?” He sighed, “I’m sorry, Keith, but Lance is normally an unbeatable sharpshooter. I was surprised yesterday that he ended up losing to Pidge, so I guess maybe he had something on his mind…”

 

“Y-yeah.” Keith looked away, obviously guilty. “Must have had something  _ big _ on his mind.”

 

Keith glanced towards Lance, who was sitting in a camping chair a couple of feet away sketching away in his drawing pad. He could still see the very visible hickey he had left on Lance’s neck the other day and Lance was making no attempt whatsoever to cover it up. 

 

Keith didn’t whether to be really happy or really scared.

 

“Well,” Shiro continued, surprisingly not noticing Keith’s suspicious guilt. “He seemed fine after while walking back here, so maybe he was just a little bit tired or sluggish. After all,  _ you  _ did give him quite the wakeup call yesterday.”

 

“I told him to no sleep next to me and I wake up with his arms wrapped around my body.” Keith grumbled, continuing to stare at Lance. “You can’t entirely put the blame on me, I warned him and he clearly didn’t listen to me.”

 

“Have you ever thought that maybe Lance was making sure you were warm or it was just a complete accident? He is a bit of a… Uh, interesting sleeper?”

 

“You’re telling me.” Keith finally broke his gaze from Lance and pressed his chin against the picnic table, “When he stayed overnight in my dorm, he ended up sleeping in my bed and his arms were literally-”

 

“Wait-” Shiro interrupted him suddenly, “Lance  _ slept _ in the same bed as you?”

 

It wasn’t until a few short moments of silence later that Keith realized what he had just revealed; something that he wouldn’t have even dared tell his brother even if his life depended on it. Pressing his forehead now onto the table, Keith let out an exhausted groan and felt his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

 

“Yes, Lance slept in my bed. I didn’t want him to sleep on the ground and there was enough room for two people so I thought I would be a nice host and let him stay warm and stuff. Is there something wrong with being nice for once in my life?”

 

Shiro smiled, shaking his head. “I didn’t say anything about being rude, you’re nice the majority of the time, Keith. Just … Sometimes a bit hot-headed, that’s all. I think it’s nice that you treated Lance that way, though I was more surprised at the fact you slept next to him since you never let anyone sleep in the same room as you when you were little.”

 

“I-I…” Keith stuttered, lifting his head up slightly. “... I guess you’re right there.”

 

It was silent for a few minutes, the sounds of nature like the rustling of leaves, the soft breeze flowing leaves and dirt, birds and other various animals chirping away, and a sneeze coming from Lance’s direction. Eventually, Shiro broke the silence by sighing and tapping the table in order to grab Keith’s attention.

 

“I remember when you had a nightmare once when you were a kid.” Shiro spoke, his voice quiet. “It was while mom and dad were out and I was left to take care of you for the night, and it was normal that you had trouble sleeping, but… This nightmare had you crying, Keith.”

 

Keith pouted, “I have a lot of nightmares that still haunt me to this day, honestly.”

 

“Well, yeah…” Shiro sighed, “What I’m trying say is that even though I insisted with sleeping in you bed that night to make sure you were okay, you said no and you wanted to grow up being strong like me. No matter what I did, even if it was a nightmare days later or even weeks or months, you always insisted on sleeping on your own.”

 

“... I thought it would make me whimpy if I let you sleep by my side.” Keith closed his eyes, lowering his voice. “How could I not look up to you? You’re my adopted brother who lost his arm yet still manages to have a large smile on his face and go through the day strong. You’re a fighter, Shiro. You’ve been through hell and back and you’re so carefree at times, I only wish to be just like that. You have someone you love, I-I…”

 

Keith let his words fall short and frowned, unable to finish his sentence without his heart throbbing painfully. His eyes opened slowly only to see Lance at the corner of his vision, the rest of his sentence echoing through his mind.

 

_ I have someone who I want to love yet I’m still holding myself back. _

 

“Keith…” Shiro grabbed his hand, “You’re much younger than me, you still have your whole life ahead of you, and you’re going to experience much more happiness in the future. In the past few months, you’ve been happier than I’ve ever seen you and nothing makes me happier knowing that you’re smiling because of your friends. I can’t tell you to stop worrying, I worry about you all the time because I care about you. You’re strong and independent on your own terms, some ways I wish I was myself.”

 

Keith chuckled, managing a smile as he remembered what Lance had told him the other day. “Lance told me something along the lines of that yesterday, how it’s like an older brother thing to do worrying about your siblings.”

 

“Well, I’ll have to agree with him there.” Shiro laughed himself, “Though I only have you to worry about, Lance has his brothers, sisters,  _ and _ mother to worry about.”

 

“You shouldn’t stress too much, Shiro. It’s bad for your skin and health, I don’t want Allura complaining to be how you’re all old and wrinkly at such an young age.”

 

“I’m sure she won’t mind, but I won’t let it happen.” Shiro smiled and shook his head, “But don’t worry about the future, or at least don’t try to, okay? Focus on what’s important to you right now and in what you believe. Make your own choices based in your thoughts.”

 

Keith smiled at his brother and he returned it, and Keith felt a sense of reassurance after his conversation with his brother. If there was one person he could trust with some of his thoughts it would of course be Shiro. He may not be related by blood, but the bond Keith shared with him was different from everyone else's and Keith couldn’t be happier knowing he had someone like Shiro in his life. No- He needed someone like Shiro in his life, or he would be out in the open world making dumb decisions for himself.

 

The two talked nonsense for a while before Lance joined the two, and eventually the two groups who were out for the majority of the day returned to the campgrounds. Coran and Allura had returned from their magical journey and did manage to find a few field mice, to Allura’s excitement, and Hunk and Pidge returned from their hike from a nearby trail. Pidge showed them all the photos which were breathtakingly beautiful, and of course both Lance and Allura had to critique them like the artists they were.

 

Eventually the sun began to set and they all cooked dinner; burgers, and hot dogs was the main course for the night, and they feasted together at the picnic table. Surprisingly, Keith found it very pleasant being surrounded by his friends. He couldn’t help but smile, it was definitely a trip he was beginning to realize that would begin to be engraved into both his mind and heart for the majority of his life.

 

And at this point, he would love to go on another trip with all of them.

 

After dinner was done and the group cleaned up the remnants, they all gathered around the campfire for the rest of the night as the sun had fully set and the stars and night sky were in full view past the vast trees. At first, everyone was talking in their own groups, but it didn’t take long for Pidge to begin a somewhat interesting group discussion of sorts.

 

“Hey, guys.” Pidge began, a large grin spreading across their face. “Do you all want to play an interesting game as a group?”

 

“What marvelous idea are you thinking about, Pidge?” Coran asked with an amused smirk, and their grin only grew wider across their face.

 

“This is going to sound middle school as hell, but how about we play a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’? Since, well, all of us are quite friendly with one another,  _ maybe more”  _ They hinted at a select few, knowingly. “I think it would a be fun way to unwind for the day.”

 

“That sounds dangerous, but I like the idea.” Allura grinned, leaning forward slightly. “What do you all say? Shall we play a round or two?”

 

Hunk nodded, “I’m up for a few rounds, as long as everyone is okay with it as well.”

 

Everyone agreed and soon enough, everyone was holding ten fingers out in front of their bodies. It was also unanimously voted that any question could be asked regardless of what it was unless Pidge decided otherwise, as they were the game master. 

 

Keith was happy to play, though he couldn’t help but feel that Pidge was up to something. It seemed a bit random that they decided all of a sudden to play such a secret-revealing game at such a  _ convenient _ time, but he wasn’t going to back out so easily. He’d play their game, just perhaps with a bit of caution.

 

“Are we all ready?” Pidge asked, and everyone nodded. “Okay! I’ll start, and then we’ll continue clockwise. Remember, I can say if a question is not allowed if I feel as if it’s attack a certain person, but other than that it’s a free for all!”

 

Nodding one last time as a whole group, Pidge began the dangerous game.

 

“Hm … Never have I ever … Had a drink of alcohol before the legal age!”

 

Groans left the lips of a few peers and Keith saw Lance, Shiro, and Coran lower his fingers. Keith himself had to lower his finger as well, he was just as guilty as them.

 

“All of you. I’m calling the police.” Pidge joked, and everyone else laughed as well. Next, it was Hunk’s turn, and he wasted no time in proposing his statement.

 

“Never have I ever got a failing grade on a test!”

 

Lance groaned once again and allowed yet another finger to drop, yet no one else had dropped a finger. Keith thought long and hard about if he had ever failed a test, though he knew he hadn’t. Close to failing, but not.

 

“Come on, you guys!” Lance complained, “I swear I’m a good student, just ask Allura!”

 

Allura furrowed her eyebrows, a sly smile across her face. “You’ve fallen asleep in my class multiple times, Lance.”

 

_ “Guys!” _

 

“Now, now.” Shiro chuckled, “Let’s continue playing without it getting out of hand. Now, let’s see....”

 

Shiro thought for a moment before speaking; it was his turn.

 

“Never have I ever skipped a day of class due to laziness or oversleeping.”

 

This time, Lance wasn’t alone. Hunk lowered a finger and Keith couldn’t deny that he had skipped… Well,  _ many  _ classes due to just not feeling up to a dumb ass lecture. He could feel Shiro’s gaze burning holes through him, but he chose to ignore it for the time being.

 

“My turn.” Lance announced, a grin spreading across his face. “Never have I ever broken a bone in my body.”

 

The majority of people had placed a finger down with the exception of Keith, he and Lance were the only ones who had never broken a bone in their body. Keith was impressed, as Lance seemingly had a large family he thought he would have broken a bone at least once.

 

“Your turn, Mullet Head.” Lance teased, “Knock ‘em dead.”

 

Keith felt himself rolling his eyes before letting his mind think of something to say, “Never have I ever ...   _ Kissed a girl.” _

 

Lance, Shiro, Coran, and Hunk lowered a finger. Keith could feel the heat radiating off Lance at this point as he was the losing person so far in the game, and Keith couldn’t help but feel a bit accomplished being able to get him a bit hot-headed.

 

“That was an obvious attack against me…” Lance mumbled, and Pidge shook their head.

 

“People are gay, Lance.”

 

“I-I know!” His face began to heat up, “I’m gay myself!”

 

“Who would have guessed.” Hunk joked, and Lance shot him a stern gaze before leaning back in his chair.

 

“Okay, my turn!” Coran announced, “Never have I ever been in a relationship before!”

 

Once again, nearly everyone had put a finger down. Shiro and Allura obviously put a finger down with red faces, Hunk too since he was a long-distance relationship, and not so surprisingly Lance had put his finger down.

 

Only Pidge and Keith had not put a finger down, and Keith couldn’t help but feel a little tinge of anger knowing that Lance had been in previous relationships. He should have expected it, but finding out this was was quite irritating.

 

“Is it my turn next?” It was finally Allura’s turn, “Never had I ever done something illegal.”

 

Keith could tell Lance was beyond mad as he yet again lowered another finger, and Keith couldn’t help but let out the slightest of chuckles at the look on his face. Lance glared at him as if to say  _ “Go one, lower your finger too!” _ , and which Keith happily did with dignity. He’s done some shit, and he was man enough to admit it.

 

Shiro, Hunk, and Coran had lowered their fingers too, but surprisingly Pidge did too. Keith was sure to ask what the hell Pidge had done illegally when he got the time later, but they were the only one who had the majority of their fingers still up. They were a somewhat innocent angel despite having a witty attitude at times, it’s the reason why Keith enjoyed being friends with Pidge in the first place.

 

“Once again, I’m calling the police on all your asses.” Pidge joked before going onto their turn.

 

Hunk chuckled, “Might as well turn yourself in while you’re at it.”

 

Everyone took their turns and fingers kept falling, some stayed up. Surprisingly, Shiro was the first one out and Allura followed not long after. Coran was next and then Hunk followed after a few more turns. Lance had somehow managed to stay in with one finger left standing, Keith was two fingers left up, and Pidge had a whopping five fingers left up. It would take some kind of miracle for either Lance or Keith to win, but Keith had a feeling Lance was determined to sweep Pidge under the rug.

 

Sadly, it was Pidge’s turn. And it looked like they had a trick up their sleeve.

 

“Never. Have. I. Ever. Had  _ sex!” _

 

Keith had to admit, he was a bit shocked by the sudden question, but he knew it was a fair question. Though, he was lucky- He himself was still a virgin and he was somewhat okay with admitting that. After all, Lance had to be a virgin too so it wasn't like he was going to be alone here. With a smile on his face, Keith kept his two fingers up and glanced over to Lance to see what he had done.

 

His smirk was soon wiped off his face as he saw Lance lower his finger with a sigh, a grin on his face.

 

Keith felt his heart drop to the ground, unsure how to feel at the sudden revelation. Lance wasn’t a virgin, he’s done it with someone or people before. He was experienced, and here Keith was sitting next to him like the virgin he was.

 

He couldn’t bare looking at Lance anymore, and he lowered his gaze to the ground shamefully before he allowed his anger to take control.

 

“You got me, you little gremlin.” Lance chuckled, “Good game, I will admit my defeat only this time.”

 

Keith felt sick to his stomach, and he wanted the game to be over as soon as possible.

 

“I somewhat knew that would probably be the finishing blow, so I left it be one of my last questions.” Pidge raised their eyebrows, “But now it’s my turn to take Keith down, as he still has his two fingers up.”

 

Mustering up all the strength he could find and make sure when he spoke his voice didn’t shake, Keith managed to go through three more rounds before Pidge came out the winner of the game. Everyone congratulated them, Keith did too with a small smile, but as they began to set up another round of the game, Keith stood up from his chair and placed his blanket onto his chair.

 

“I’m going to go grab something from my tent, I’ll be right back.” 

 

Before anyone could say anything, Keith began to walk towards his tent and disappear into the darkness. He didn’t go inside his tent, he walked a bit further away and out of the sight of the other behind a few trees and leaned against one, finally losing his composure and letting out a shaky breath.

 

Keith rubbed his thumb against his finger and stared off into space, his mind still grasping the fact that Lance has had relationships with other people and not only that; sex. He know this shouldn’t be bothering him as much as it was, but his heart felt like it had been pulled out, stepped on multiple times, and then thrown back into his chest with no care. It hurt, it hurt like a bitch. It hurt that Keith had to find this out from a silly game and not from Lance himself, and the worst part is that he had no care in the world.

 

For once in his life, Keith felt humiliated. He was inexperienced compared to Lance, and it was clear now that Lance was far out of his range now. There was no way the two could be a stable couple, thats what Keith thought.

 

Lance would never want to date an inexperienced person like him.

 

Just as he was dwelling in his thoughts, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of crunching sticks and leaves. Keith held his breath at the sudden sound and felt his body stiffen up, alerted. Was it an animal? Keith didn’t hope there were bears or coyotes in the area, but Shiro didn’t say there  _ wasn’t _ any dangerous animals.

 

Balling his fists up, Keith was prepared to punch whatever was around the corner. If it was a bear, well… Maybe a punch wasn’t the best line of attack, but it was all he could think of right now.

 

However, when he turned to voice the source of the sound, there wasn’t a bear or a coyote at all.

 

It was Lance.

 

“Hey there Keith, buddy.” Lance flashed him a smile, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “You kinda left suddenly before we could start the next round, so I … I was worried.”

 

Keith held his clenched fist out in front of him, started and staring at Lance in complete shock. He didn’t know what to say, so all he could do was stare at Lance until he said something.

 

“Are … Are you okay?” Lance questioned quietly, his face full of concern. “It just me, Keith. I’m not some ravaged beast ready to kill you. You can put your fist down.”

 

Staring at Keith for another minute, Keith eventually lowered his fist and unballed it, casting his gaze onto the ground and leaning against the tree once again. He took a few deep breaths and Lance moved his body in front of Lance, keeping his gaze planted firmly on him and allowing Keith to take deep breaths.

 

“Hey, I’m really worried about you.” Lance finally spoke again, his voice kinder than ever. “Ever since… Well, ever since Pidge asked if we ever had sex before you’ve been acting distant and withdrawn. Are you maybe, w-well ... “ He took a deep breath, “... Are you embarrassed over the fact that you’re still a virgin while I’m a bit more … Experienced?”

 

Keith clicked his tongue but nodded his head eventually, “... Was it that fuckin’ obvious?”

 

“How could it not be when you were right next to me?” Lance smiled slightly, “I … I think maybe Pidge was a bit out of order for asking that question, but it’s …”

 

Lance sighed and shook his head, frowning instead of smiling. Keith managed to raise his head up to see why Lance had fallen silent, and he was surprised to see a slight tint of red spreading across his own cheeks.

 

“Anyways,” Lance avoided the rest of his answer, “What I’m trying to say that you don’t need to be embarrassed about that fact that you’re a virgin. Hunk is still a virgin I’m pretty sure, Pidge … Well, that’s an obvious answer, but if you’re blaming yourself for still being a virgin  _ don’t.” _

 

Keith bit down on his lower lip, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. He get what Lance was trying to say, but he couldn’t help but still feel mad about how the whole situation turned out. Maybe if Lance had sat down with him and talked about his past relationships, sure, but the fact that he had to find out while playing a stupid game was completely ridiculous, and Keith felt like he was backstabbed. It didn’t matter if Lance knew how Keith felt about him, it was the fact that they’ve known each other for so long yet Lance is still hiding things from Keith.

 

_ Why am I so desperate? Why am I even trying?  _ Keith bit down on his lower lip even harder,  _ It’s obvious he isn’t into me. I need to stop before I end up getting hurt. _

 

Before Keith allowed his composure to break anymore than it could, he felt a warm pair of hands cup around his cheeks and tilt his head up. His gaze met Lance’s, and he couldn’t muster any energy to look elsewhere. Besides, it didn’t look like Lance was ready to mock or make fun of him, the look on his face look rather troubled.

 

“Keith, it’s okay. I’m sorry Pidge was a shit and had to say something like that, I'd be angry if I was put in a situation like that as well. But-”

 

_ “Stop.” _

 

Lance was interrupted and Keith couldn’t contain his anger anymore. He couldn’t listen to Lance and his lectures anymore, nothing was going to help him make him feel better.

 

If Lance really wanted to know, Keith would have to admit his feelings to him.

 

“Stop, just stop!” Keith raised his voice, his fists removed from his pockets and balling up once again. “Do you know how humiliating it fucking feels to sit there and have it suddenly outed you’re a virgin when so many fucking people my age are not?! When people are out having the relationships of their lives when I’m too shut-out and scared to allow myself to be vulnerable to someone?! I’m not like you, Lance! Don’t you fucking say how  _ you _ would be angry when you can’t fucking put yourself in my shoes!”

 

Slamming his fist into the tree, Keith felt his face heat up as he allowed all his emotions and pent-up anger from the past few days finally be released.

 

“Do you want to know how it fucking felt the moment I found out you’ve been in multiple relationships and aren’t a virgin?! I felt so fucking  _ betrayed,  _ Lance! I thought we had so many bonding moments beforehand that changed and made our relationship different, but here we are again with you hiding shit from me! You have no idea how I’ve been feeling the past month, my emotions have been all over the fucking place thanks to  _ you!” _

 

“K-Keith!” Lance’s eyes were full of concern and he removed his hands from Lance’s cheeks. “Calm down-!”

 

_ “No, Lance! _ You’re going to fucking stand here and listen to my fucking frustrations because this is all your damn fault!” Keith grabbed onto Lance’s shirt and pulled him closer to his face. “The past month or two has just been thoughts all about you, Lance! I haven’t gone through one damn fucking day without a single thought without you because you just had to come into my life and make me god damn obsessed over  _ you!” _

 

Keith switched their positions, pushing Lance against the tree and leaning closer to his face. He wasn’t sure if he was angry anymore or just straight up sexualy frustrated, but nothing was going to stop the words from coming from his mouth no matter what.

 

“Do you know how many time times my thoughts got out of control?! Do you know how many times I had to fucking  _ relieve _ myself because I think about your damn body and how much I think it’s really sexy?! And now I hear that you’ve been with other people and it just makes me so damn jealous! All I’ve been thinking about is Lance this, Lance that, and it’s so damn hard to control myself around you when my thoughts get out of control like this!”

 

Finally calming down, Keith took a few deep breaths before glancing away completely flustered and letting go of Lance’s shirt. He had only realized how close he had gotten to Lance and he could feel the heat radiating off him, which of course, only made the situation much worse. This close proximity was going to drive Keith over the edge, and he couldn’t muster up any strength to move his body away from Lance.

 

After a few short moments, Lance raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

 

“So … Let me get the straight. You’re sexually frustrated over me?

 

Keith groaned, feeling his dignity disappear every second. “Yes, Lance. I’m horny as fuck and it’s all because of you.”

 

Lance chuckled, “That can’t be fun.”

 

“No it’s fucking not. Nice to see your taking the news better than expected, I thought you were going to run away screaming.”

 

“Nah, man.” Lance laughed, rolling his eyes. “As long as you don’t think I’m some sex-crazed love machine we should be fine here.”

 

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Keith finally managed a small smile despite feeling beyond embarrassed. “Are you some sex-crazed love machine? You could be keeping that a secret from me, I never know.”

 

“Okay, I’ve had sex before and previous relationships, but I’ve only had sex with one person and few times. That’s all, I promise.” Lance sighed, though there was still a smile clearly present on his face. “Are you better knowing that now?”

 

Keith sighed as well, “I wish I could have known before I have a mental breakdown, but I guess it’s better now than never.”

 

The two laughed and then once again an awkward silence filled the air, Lance and Keith both staring at each other unsure what to say. Though Keith couldn’t put his finger on it, there was a strange energy around them now that the tension had been lifted, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

 

Eventually, Lance raised an eyebrow and grinned widely. A chuckle left his lips and he wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist.

 

“So, uh…” Lance began , glancing up and down Keith’s body. “You horny now or something?”

 

Keith felt his whole body flush head to toe and he stammered. “N-no! What the hell are you talking about?!”

 

“Hmmmm. Are you really sure?” Lance suddenly pulled Keith’s body towards his and pressed his groin against his, Keith’s hard on now painfully obvious. “Are you really sure,  _ Mullet Head?” _

 

_ “F-fuck!” _ Keith cursed in order to stifle his moan, hoping it wasn’t too obvious to Lance. However, it did seem to amuse him. “Y-yeah, I’m really sure.”

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe you.” Lance purred, rolling his hips against Keith’s and he was in  _ heaven. _ There was no way in hell Keith was going to get out of this now. “Your dick is as hard as steel right now and that’s not going to go away anytime soon unless you fix that right here and right  _ now.” _

 

Lance continued to thrust and roll his hips against Keith’s in an agonizing, slow pace, and Keith at first was determined to keep his composure. However, he soon couldn’t deny moving his own hips against Lance in an attempt to feel more friction, and soon soft, delicate moans began to mix in with pants that leaked from his mouth.

 

“Hmm, do you like that?” Lance cooed, and Keith nodded his head frantically.

 

“Y-yes,-!” Another moan left his lips, “Fuck, Lance-!”

 

“My, aren’t you a needy one.” Lance chuckled, his hands moving up and down Keith’s back tantalizingly slow. “Is this all because of me? All those thoughts of me lead you to feeling like this?”

 

“W-well, maybe not as aggressive-” Keith hissed, shivers running down his spine from the feeling of Lance’s hands running down his back. “-But I suppose you could say that this is all because of you-!”

 

“Is that so?” Lance moved his hands to grab Keith’s ass, “Then I suppose then at the archery range that was you losing your composure?”

 

Keith nodded, and Lance traced his lips along Keith’s neck, a hot sigh escaping his lips from the sensation. 

 

“Y’know … I would really love to return the favor right now, as long as the others don’t hear you.”

 

Lance pulled at the front of Keith’s pants and Keith nearly lost it on the spot, a needy moan slipping past his lips.

 

“P-please …” Keith begged, and Lance’s thumbs began to rub and his hip bones.

 

“After all this time as well … It must have been  _ really _ painful to hold back all this time, mustn't it?”

 

Keith began to pant, “God,  _ yes.” _

 

“Then …” Lance let out a hot breath against Keith’s neck and he finally accepted that he was  _ gone. _ “... Enjoy yourself for a little bit and let me do the work, alright?”

 

Keith couldn’t deny Lance anymore. He knew it was far too late to run away now. 

 

He was going to continue falling for Lance no matter what the consequences were.

 

Biting down on his lower lip to stifle any sounds that dared to escape his mouth, Keith allowed to do whatever he wanted with his body. Lance began with running his hands up and down Keith’s body, from his waist up to his chest at a slow yet teasing pace. Keith didn’t exactly like it when things weren’t “fast paced”, but for Lance he could make an exception. In fact, he was sure his teasing was only sending him over the edge more. And he loved every second of it.

 

Rolling his hips against Keith’s one again, this time Keith couldn’t hold back his voice from the sudden friction. He allowed a sharp moan to leave his lips, and in the darkness he could see Lance’s smirk grow across his feverish face. Soft, hot pants were escaping his own lips as well, and Keith could feel every single breath against his neck.

 

“L-Lance …” Keith begged, rolling his hips in rhythm with Lance. “Please, I-I want more-!”

 

“Hm?” Lance raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing. “Want more of what? You’re going to have to be a bit more specific if you want more, Keith.”

 

Keith let out what he guessed was a groan mixed with a moan, and just when he thought his face couldn’t become even redder he began to feel it heat up all the more.  _ So he want’s me to be vocal, huh? _ Keith thought, rolling his eyes.  _ Well, if he wants me to be needy and vocal, then I’ll go ahead and give him that. _

 

“Lance, if you don’t touch my dick in the next few moments I’m going to punch you in the balls.”

 

Lance suddenly stopped his movements, his hands frozen on Keith’s hips and his hips stopped mid-way thrusting. His gaze stared directly into Keith’s eyes for a few seconds as his mind processed what Keith said, and soon a loud laugh left his lips. Keith sighed, burying his face into Lance’s shoulder and feeling even more humiliated than before.

 

“Ahahaha! O-oh my god,  _ Keith!” _ Lance continued to laugh, shaking his head. “I know I told you to be more specific but I didn’t expect  _ that!” _

 

“Lance.” Keith warned, “I’m going to kill you if you don’t shut the fuck up.”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m s-sorry Keith!” Lance continued to laugh, though it began to die down slightly. “I just wasn’t expecting you to say that-!”

 

_ “Lance.” _ Keith spat one last warning at Lance and he finally got the memo, his laugh dying down but the smile still spread across his lips. Keeping one eyebrow raised, Lance moved his hand to Keith’s cheek and lifted his head up, staring into Keith eyes with a loving gaze. Keith felt his heart skip a beat, and once again his heart was stuck in his throat, words unable to form at the beautiful sight in front of him.

 

“It’s okay, Keith. Your wish is my command, after all.”

 

Before Keith could even find the right words, Lance began to move his hands down to Keith’s belt. He unbuckled it with ease, Keith’s gaze watching every single moment of his swift hand movements unable to tear his away. Lance then undid Keith’s pants, wasting no time in pulling them down slightly and then proceeding to fondle Keith’s erection through his underwear.

 

Keith felt a moan hitch in his throat his hands reaching up to grab Lance’s shirt as he finally got what he wanted. He couldn’t hold the sounds back any longer and he allowed a few moans to slip past his lips every so often, loving every single moment Lance touched his clothed cock. 

 

Though, he had to admit, he wasn’t very fond of the attention only being on him. Didn’t Lance want to feel good too? Keith wasn’t going to let himself degrade in front of Lance, so wouldn’t it be nice as payback to see Lance crumble from his touch?

 

Quickly, before Lance could see what he was planning, Keith raised his knee and began to knee Lance’s neglected erection carefully. Lance immediately leaned back onto the tree from Keith’s touch, and a beautiful,  _ perfect _ moan left his lips. Keith’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of it, and he suddenly realized that he only craved more of that voice. More, more, and more. He wanted to hear every sound he could make.

 

Keith felt himself smirk.  _ Two can play this game. _

 

“K-Keith!” Lance’s eyes were blown wide with lust, “W-what are you doing?”

 

Keith chuckled, continuing to knee Lance’s hard-on. “I know you said you were going to take care of me, but I think two can play this game. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

It took Lance a moment to realize what Keith had meant, and when he did, a feverish grin tugged the corners of his lips upward.

 

“Oh it’s on,  _ Space Cowboy.” _

 

Keith’s grin only grew more across his face, and he knew that he was only beginning to crave more. As Keith moved his knee from Lance’s crotch to replace it with his hand, Lance made his next bold move by pulling down Keith’s underwear and exposing Keith’s cock. Keith sucked in a deep breath feeling himself exposed in the cold, night air, however he couldn’t lie and had to admit it kind of turned him on a bit. It was risky doing something so lewd outside near his friends, but he couldn’t care less anymore. If they were caught, then oh well.

 

When Lance wrapped his hand around his cock and began to slowly move it up and down at a tantalizing pace, Keith groaned and thrusted his hips upward. Lance let out what Keith though was a laugh mixed with a moan, and he found it somewhat adorable. However, he knew LAnce was getting a bit too cocky, so he quickly undid Lance’s pants and shoved his hands down Lance’s pants eagerly. He wasted no time in shoving his hands down his underwear as well and pulling out Lance’s erection, which Keith was surprised to see was leaking pre-cum.

 

“Well, it looks like somone here was desperate to have a little fun.” Keith cooed, running his thumb over Lance’s tip. Lance shivered and moaned, throwing his head back and pressing his hips against Keith’s. 

 

“S-shut up, Mullet Head.” Lance pouted, increasing the pace of his strokes against Keith’s cock. “You were acting all hot and bothered, so it’s no wonder that I’m erected as fuck right now.”

 

“Yeah. Sure, sure.” Keith rolled his eyes, beginning to stroke Lance’s coke as well. “Keep making up excuses.”

 

Lance bit down on his lower lip for a short moment, “You’re quite mouthy considering you were moaning and needy a minute ago.”

 

“Oh excuse fucking me, would you like me to continue doing that then?”

 

Keith should have expected it, but Lance caught him by surprise when he squeezed his cock a little tighter and increased the pace of his strokes. Not only that, occasionally he would rub his thumb over Keith’s tip and Keith  _ lost it. _ Moans left his mouth nonstop, his legs began to shoke, and he could barely focus on stroking Lance’s cock anymore as his vision began to blur. He didn’t realize it before, but tears of pleasure began to fall down his cheeks.

 

“L-Lance-Mn!” Keith moaned, his whole body shaking. “You fucking asshole-!”

 

Lance chuckled, his voice deep and lustful. “Sorry, couldn’t hear you over the sound of your moaning.”

 

“You-Ahhhhh!” Keith was about to shout at Lance again but Lance suddenly stroked his cock in a specific way and Keith officially lost his ability to speak. All that came from his mouth were moans and pants, and Keith was sure he was beginning to reach his limit. He was inexperienced, of course, and this was a pleasure so intense that he had never felt before. Having someone else jacking him off was completely different from when he did it to himself, and Keith knew he would only begin to crave more of Lance’s touches.

 

“Lance-!” Keith claws at Lance’s shirt again, thrusting his hips once again into Keith’s hand. “I-I can’t hold myself back any longer-!”

 

“Hm?” Lance teased again, “What do you mean, Keith?”

 

Keith moaned, “I’m gonna c-cum, you fucking idiot! Stop acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about- _ Fuck!” _

 

“I know, I know.” Lance sighed and smirked, leaning into Keith’s ear and beginning to whisper lowly. “You’re being really good for me, y’know?”

 

Keith never thought he would be able to cum from just whispers, but Lance had just proved him wrong. Within seconds of Lance’s praising, Keith felt himself submersed within waves of intense pleasure and came with a hard moan. He threw his head back and clawed at Lance’s shirt, reaching his climax and riding it out while the waves of pleasure rode through his body. When it was all over, Keith slumped against Lance’s body and panted hard, catching his breath while recovering from the pleasure he had just felt.

 

Lance sighed, running his hands through Keith’s hair. “You doing okay there, buddy?”

 

“S-shit…” Keith finally spoke, panting in between words. “You fucking asshole. I’ve never came so hard in my damn life. Fuck you.”

 

“Your welcome.” Lance patted Keith’s hair, messing it up. “I’m sure all the stress and pent up anger has now been released, you are free to do whatever you want and please.”

 

Keith groaned, finally finding some of the strength to stand up and stare at Lance. He glanced down his body and realized that yes, Lance was very much still erected and ready for action and Keith had completely ignored him. He was too busy induced in his own pleasure to pay attention on Lance, and he wasn’t going to return to the campsite to have Lance still hard as fuck.

 

Keith had an idea, and he wasn’t going to let Lance back out of it.

 

Getting on his knees, Keith grabbed Lance’s cock and brought it to his mouth.

 

“H-hey! Keith!” Lance’s voice shook, “What are you doing?!”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, “I’m gonna suck you off.”

 

“W-what?!” Lance yelled, his face instantly going red and his eyes blown wide. “You’ve never given one before though, right? Do you know how to do it?!”

 

Keith pursed his lips and pretended to think, soon looking up to Lance with a blank face.

 

“Nope.”

 

Before Lance could protest, Keith promptly placed his cock into his mouth and began to suck.

 

“D-dammit!” Lance moaned and brought a balled fist to his mouth looking down at Keith with a heated expression. Keith glanced up at him for a brief moment before going back to work, bobbing his head up and down and setting his own pace.

 

In all seriousness, Keith had no idea what the hell to do. Do blowjobs consist on sucking the dick while bobbing his head up and down? Perhaps he should use his tongue as well … Would that be good? Oh well, he could try a little of everything and see how Lance reacted. 

 

Hallowing his cheeks out a little more, Keith moved his tongue along Lance’s cock and occasionally ran his tongue along the tip. Keith felt Lance’s body shake against his hand, and he swore at one point he felt Lance’s hips thrust towards him a little. He looked up to see how Lance was doing, and he saw Lance’s face twist up in pleasure.

 

“K-Keith.” Lance stammered, his hand trembling against his mouth. “Whatever you’re doing, k-keep doing it.”

 

Keith nodded his head quickly placing his other hand on Lance’s hips to prevent him from moving his hips and getting back to work, He continued the same technique, changing the speed every so often though to see if he could get different reactions from Lance. Sometimes he just sucked on the tip, which seemed to be Lance’s greatest weakness as his knees would shake and soft moans would leave his lips, and then sometimes he would only run his tongue along his length. 

 

Either way, Lance was a red, hot mess by the time Keith began to take even more of Lance in his mouth.

 

Keith hadn’t realized it, but eventually he had let go of Lance’s lips and allowed Lance to slowly thrust his length into his mouth. He was very slow and gently at first, and Keith eventually shut his eyes and allowed Lance to go at his own pace while he continued to suck him off.

 

“S-shit.” Lance suddenly said, his hand intertwining into Keith’s hair and suddenly giving it a tug. “I’m sorry Keith, b-but I can’t help it.”

 

Before Keith could question what Lance was apologizing for, Lance tugged Keith’s hair hard and thrusted his cock sharply into his mouth. Keith’s eyes blew wide open and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he could feel the tip of Lance’s cock touching the back of his throat. It was suffocating, his tongue struggled against his length, and as Keith was just getting used to the feeling, Lance pulled his hips back onto to slam them again and again in a fast, furious pace.

 

Despite the suffocation, Keith couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of Lance’s cock touching the back of his throat. He glanced up to Lance and kept his gaze on him while continuing to run his tongue along his length, grabbing any chance he could get to run it along the tip when he could. Sometimes he sucked hard, sometimes he hollowed he cheeks out, but all Keith wanted was for Lance to feel good.

 

Keith didn’t realize this before, but cum had a weird taste. It wasn’t bad, just salty and perhaps not particularly his favourite taste in the world. However, he had no choice in swallowing it; Lance was thrusting too hard and fast for Keith to spit it out.

 

“Keith, I’m gonna c-cum!” Lance’s moan became loud and rugged, and he gripped onto Keith’s hair even harder than before. “You feel so good and hot, I’m not going to l-last much longer-!”

 

Keith felt a moan in his throat, nodding his head as best as he could and closing his eyes. He knew Lance wouldn’t be able to pull away fast enough, so he might as well prepare himself for what was to come next. After all, he wanted to please Lance, and it seemed like he was having the time of his life right now.

 

After one particular hard thrust, Lance moaned lewdly and finally reached his orgasm. Keith felt his release in his mouth and tried his best to swallow as much of it as possible. It was impossible to swallow all of it, and he ended up choking on the remnants as Lance pulled away in order for Keith to catch his breath. Keith let out a loud cough, spitting what was left in his mouth and wiping his mouth against his jacket sleeve.

 

“Keith!” Lance got down onto his knees as well and cupped his cheek, “Are you okay?! I’m r-really sorry, I lost control and-!”

 

Keith shook his head, managing a smirk. “I’m okay, Lance.” His voice, however, said otherwise; It was hoarse. “I’m more shocked than ever if I had to be honest, though.”

 

“Jeez, I’m shocked that you decided to suck me off.” Lance sighed and closed his eyes, resting against the tree. “You’ve never given a blowjob before yet it felt like you were experienced. What kind of voodoo magic are you doing?”

 

“Nah. I’m just a natural and you know it, Pizza Boy.” Keith chuckled, leaning against Lance’s chest as his body gave out. “Just … Try to give me a better warning before you nearly choke me with your dick, okay? I wasn’t planning on having my mouth ravaged like that.”

 

“Okay, okay.” Lance blushed and rolled his eyes, “I’m sorry, okay? But I know you had fun.”

 

“Mmm.” Keith nodded, wrapping his arms around Lance. “Sure.”

 

It was silent between the two for a short moment before Lance laughed again, his hand reaching up to Keith’s hair to stroke it once again.

 

“Are you a cuddler after sex then? Lance asked Keith, and he shrugged.

 

“I”m a virgin, remember? I can’t answer that question.”

 

“Well … You certainly aren’t a  _ mouth _ virgin anymore.”

 

“Is there such a thing as a mouth virgin?” Keith chuckled, quite amused at Lance’s choice of words.

 

“I don’t know, but I’m making it a thing now.” Lance laughed again, “But holy shit you were  _ good.” _

 

“Oh wow, I’m so damn flattered. Suck ya’ off another day then.”

 

“Okay, sure. Another day then”

 

Keith nodded and closed his eyes, feeling his body grow heavier and heavier every second that passed. He could feel the warmth radiate off Lance’s body and he felt his conscious slowly slip away to sleep, it had been a long, hard day afterall. And how late was it? How long were they hiding behind the trees for? Weren’t the others worried about them?”

 

“Hn-” Keith attempted to get up, though his body wouldn’t let him. “The …. The others …”

 

“Don’t get up.” Lance said, wrapping his arms around his body. “Your body is way too worn out to move, you might hurt yourself if you’re not careful.”

 

Keith still ignored him, “The … The others though …?”

 

“You’re too adorable when you’re tired.” Lance whispered, “But really, Keith. I think it’s time you got some rest. You deserve it, after all.”

 

Finally giving in to his exhaustion, Keith finally allowed his mouth to rest and felt his consciousness slip away. The last thing he felt and heard was the sound of Lance zipping his pants up as well as Keith’s and picking him up in his arms, presumably carrying him towards their tent.

 

Keith knew he was holding onto Lance the entire time he was carrying him, and a part of him didn’t want to fall asleep because he knew by the time he got to the tent he had to let go. However, he knew too damn well resistance was futile. Sleep was already overtaking him.

 

So instead, Keith decided the best thing to do was to fall asleep with the thought of Lance in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was watching Overwatch Championship plays while writing this lol, I need to play the game more when I have time. Especially since my new laptop is SUPER FAST OH MY GOODNESS I CAN PLAY NEARLY ANY GAME ON HERE IT'S SUCH A NICE CHANGE ;O; 
> 
> Anyways, I actually finished this chapter today at... 3am. Or 2am since we put the clocks back? Ghost in the Shell was on TV when I finished, it's been ages since I've watched Adult Swim haha.
> 
> I hope the NSFW wasn't too awkward! It's the first time writing it for a fanfiction but I'm sure I'll improve over time... I hope xD If you've read this far thank you so much! Hope you have a wonderful week :)


	11. Extra Cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awaking the next morning, Lance begins to feel guilty and can't even begin on how to explain to Keith how he felt.
> 
> So instead of confronting him, Lance is beginning to wonder if running away is the right answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up finishing this chapter way earlier than anticipated because I was very sick, I'm unable to move around very much and I'm in a lot of pain ;o; (Still am, though not as much) But-! Despite being in pain, I pulled through! I'm actually really happy that I finished without rushing... But I haven't posted it until now since I've been tired and very busy... uegh.
> 
> Also I bought two new video games; Fire Emblem Warriors and Cuphead. I told myself not to buy FE Warriors but then I was walking into GameStop and I have no self control and now I love the game. Cuphead makes me beyond angry but 10/10 best game of the year after Breath of the Wild.
> 
> Anyways- Enjoy the new chapter!~ It's in Lance's perspective and... Well, there's quite a bit of inner thoughts in this chapter. c;

Lance didn’t know what happened last night.

 

Okay, Lance lied. He knew _exactly_ what happened, but his mind was still wrapping around how in the ever living fuck happened and why it happened in the first place. Was it Keith? Lance admittedly liked Keith, and he was ninety percent sure what he heard from Keith’s lips was a confession for sure, but still… Lance couldn’t help but feel a bit off about the whole ordeal. He felt guilty.

 

When your damn crush confesses in front of you (If, by chance, what Lance heard from Keith’s mouth was in fact a confession), you just don’t go _“Whoopie! Fantastic! Grab his dick and go crazy!”,_ Lance knew that in the back of his heart, yet he couldn’t stop himself from holding himself back. Seeing Keith’s face enveloped in pleasure because of him, seeing him get sexualy frustrated over him; Lance couldn’t help it. He, himself, had finally reached a breaking point himself that night as well.

 

Lance awoke the next morning full of regrets. He hated himself so damn much that he couldn’t bare to look at Keith without his heart throbbing against his chest, hence why he bolted out of his tent like a madman in pursuit. _I shouldn’t have done that._ Lance thought. _I took advantage of Keith, knowing damn well he was inexperienced and insecure about it, and made it into my own damn fucking pleasure._

 

Not only that, Keith gave him a damn blowjob. A fucking blowjob! This man is inexperienced yet he wasted no time on getting on his knees and grabbing Lance’s dick and shoving it into his mouth. Lance got the feeling that Keith only did that because he _felt_ like he had to, because Lance wasn’t getting any of the attention and he _needed_ the attention. The feeling may have been pleasure last night, but the feeling Lance was left with was bitter emptiness.

 

Lance felt like the scum of the earth, and there was no way in hell he was going to be able to face Keith today-- Maybe even the rest of the week, knowing full well of what his actions had lead him to do.

 

Sitting down on the picnic bench, Lance rested his head against the table and closed his eyes. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t muster up any energy to grab the food or eat, and he honestly wanted to go home. Not home back to his silly house back near college, but _home._ He missed his mom, his family, life back at home where he took care of his siblings and sang songs with his mother. The place where all his worries seemed to go away, and if he did happen to have any worries, he could always vent them to his mother. She was always full of wonders and witted answers, he missed those the most.

 

 _Great. Now I’m homesick and feeling regret from Keith._ Lance groaned, pressing his forehead against the table. _I’m going to go on this hike today feeling like an utter piece of shit._

 

Eventually, his thoughts were briefly interrupted by the sound of rummaging coming from one of the tents, soon opening to reveal both Pidge, Hunk, and Coran with wide smiles across their faces. They were chatting aimlessly about something Lance couldn’t give two shits about at the current given moment, and he didn’t remove his head from the table as he heard them approaching.

 

“Hey, man.” Lance heard a voice, Pidge’s to be exact. “You’re moping on the table. If you’re gonna fall asleep again, do it back at the tent with Keith.”

 

Lance felt his stomach lurch at the very mention of Keith, and he pressed his head even further onto the table. It took him a moment to finally muster up some words, but he sounded very melancholy as he spoke directly into the table.

 

“... He’s snoring so I would rather not.”

 

Hunk chuckled, “Way to blame Keith, huh?”

 

“... Sure.”

 

“Come on, Lance!” Coran spoke this time, his voice full of too much enthusiasm to Lance’s liking. “Today is going to be a glorious day. After all, we are going to be hiking up in the glorious mountains! This is normally your favourite part of the trip other than the archery.”

 

“Are you perhaps not feeling good?” Pidge spoke again, this time their tone not so teasing. “You seemed fine last night after coming back with Keith sleeping in you arms.”

 

Again. Keith’s name. Lance felt his stomach lurch again.

 

“If you’re not feeling so hot, I have some medicine you can take.” Coran said, “It’s best to stay hydrated as best as you can, but if you’re feeling too unwell to walk, well… Then maybe you should sit out on the hike.”

 

“I-I’m …” Lance sighed, feeling appreciative that his friends sounded caring but still feeling like an absolute piece of shit. He did, though, manage to lift his head up slightly to look at them. “... I think I’ll be okay for the hiking trip, but can I take up that offer on the medicine, Coran? I think it would help a little bit with what I’m dealing with.”

 

Lying seemed to be the Lance way to get out of this, or so it seemed. He was used to it, after all, when he wanted to avoid certain subjects or divert them from discovering the truth. He was so used to doing it that it was natural for him to lie to his friends to cover the truth.

 

Lance hated lying to them, but… He could never tell them what happened with Keith. Not over his dead damn body.

 

“Alright then, I’ll go grab it then Hunk and I will prepare some breakfast and food for the hike!” Coran nodded, walking back over to the tent. “Hunk, would you be ever so kind as to grab the tub that I labeled for day three?”

 

“Yes, sir!” Hunk smiled and saluted, shooting Pidge and Lance a smile before walking over to Coran’s van where he kept all the food. Pidge sat down from across Lance and continued to stare at him with attentive eyes, meanwhile, and Lance didn’t know whether to feel uncomfortable or scrutinized.

 

Eventually, Pidge sighed and smiled slightly. “I’m glad you found Keith safely last night, Lance. Though I don’t think there are any _present_ dangers out here right now, I don’t trust Keith to blindly walk into a hole or off a ledge.”

 

“I wish he walked into a hole.” Lance managed a chuckle, “It would have been funny to hear his angry yelling come from the earth.

 

_Yeah. Then I wouldn’t have grabbed his dick and jerked him off. Totally._

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you would have enjoyed that immensely.” Pidge rolled their eyes, “I got worried about you two though since you were gone for so long. Did something happen or was Keith being a huge jerk like normal?”

 

Lance winced, “Nothing happened.” He quickly responded, hoping he didn’t sound too rushed. “He had to get some stuff off his chest but that was it. He was just very tired and needed to get some sleep, so I offered to carry him back. He fell asleep in my arms. That’s all.”

 

Pidge raised their hands, “Okay, okay! You sound a bit rushed there, Lover Boy. I believe you, so calm down before you burst a blood vessel!”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m just--” Lance clicked his tongue, “I’m tired.”

 

“Looks like you woke up on the wrong side of bed yet _again.”_

 

“Yeah, only this time it feels worse than getting kicked in the balls.”

 

Coran came back with a few tablets and Lance happily took them, thanking him while Hunk returned with the tub full of various foods. As Coran prepped the food for later today, Hunk made an amazing breakfast in which Lance barely ate. He really wanted to eat it, he really did, but even Hunk’s amazing and brilliant cooking couldn’t cure Lance’s utter regret. He took a few bites and left it, giving the rest to both Pidge and Coran who wanted more.

 

Shiro and Allura eventually emerged from their own tent and joined the group on the table, and finally the man Lance was dreading to see came out of the tent. Lance didn't even look at him as he heard the tent unzip from behind him, and he felt his body tense up at the footsteps grew closer.

 

 _“Woah,_ Keith!” Pidge suddenly exclaimed, “Your hair's a _mess!”_

 

Shiro looked up at his food and did a double take at his brother, his eyes blowing wide. He quickly covered his smiling face with a hand, though it couldn’t mask his amusement. Allura buried her face into Shiro’s shoulder, Hunk straight up began laughing loudly, and Coran raised his eyebrows just as amused despite not laughing.

 

Lance, of course, continued to stare straight on without sending a single glance towards Keith.

 

“Is it?” Keith’s voice sounded scratchy and rough, “Guess I had a bit of a rough night.”

 

“Did you happen to wrestle Lance in your sleep by any chance?” Hunk joked, and Lance glared daggers at Hunk. _Oh we did a little more than wrestling, but your heart wouldn’t be able to take it soft boy._

 

“No, I was just very tired.” Keith sighed, sitting across from Shiro and luckily not next to Lance. “If it wasn’t for Lance finding me and carrying me back to the tent, I would have been bear food or something like that.”

 

“There’s no need to worry about bears around here, Keith.” Shiro finally spoke, despite still trying his best to hold his laughter back. “There’s none around here as far as I know, so you would have been safe for the most part.”

 

Keith sighed again, grabbing a plate of food. “Guess that’s good to know for the rest of this trip.”

 

Lance felt the guilt that had slightly faded away come back like a tidal wave, and once again he was feeling sick to his stomach. _He’s acting like nothing happened. How is he acting like nothing happened. Wasn’t he embarrassed or something? He’s taking this better than me. Doesn’t he feel any regret?_

 

Lance swore he could feel a pair of eyes on him, but he chose to ignore the feeling. Instead, he quickly got up from the table and announced he was going to get dressed and cleaned up for the hiking trip. He went back into the tent, grabbed a new pair of clothes, and made his was as fast as he could towards the bathroom.

 

Even as he walked away from the campground, he could still feel that gaze lingering on him until he knew he was too far out for any of them to see him. He was almost certain Keith had been staring at him waiting for him to say something to him but Lance chose to ignore it.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t long after Lance returned from the bathrooms that the gang began to get ready themselves, and it didn’t take them that long the dress up and get their bags ready. Within half an hour, everyone had paired of with a buddy to walk by one another and began their tedious yet exciting journey into the mountains.

 

Lance still felt horrible, his stomach was doing somersaults like _crazy_ and insisted at he walked with Hunk, and no matter how beautiful the scenery was around him he couldn’t find any strength or willpower to put one hundred percent into the hike. Not only that, Keith was walking right behind him, and again he could feel his gaze burning holes through the back of his skull. Well, it was probably better than looking at his stupid mullet head or having to walk next to him. But no-- Before Keith could ask Lance to be his partner for hiking, Lance grabbed Hunk far too enthusiastically and still chose to ignore Keith.

 

Two hours into the hiking trip, the group began to emerge from the trees to a more favorable, breathtaking view of the trees up above, The air was colder as their were hiking up to a higher altitude, but it was all worth it to see the forest surrounding them. Though there hadn’t reached the top of the mountain just yet, Lance could still see the vast green mixed with occasional rivers and lakes peak from beyond the redwood oaks. The sky was blue; it had a few stray clouds but other than that it was perfect, the sun peaking out from the few clouds that were there. Beyond in the distance were even more mountains, much taller than the one they were climbing on but still a marvelous sight to experience.

 

Lance had been on this hike many times before, yet it was still breathtakingly beautiful to him Every time he came it was a whole different sight. The weather changed, the seasons changed, and most of all Lance as a person changed. It was different every single time, and Lance enjoyed every single moment of it even despite feeling like utter shit. He’ll just add it to the list and hope to experience it feeling a little better the next time.

 

When they finally reached the top of the mountain, everyone stood in awe at the spectacular image painted out in front of them. Pidge began to take photos as Allura did too, Coran stood on top of a rock and pondered, Shiro, Keith, and Hunk walked around while also taking in the views from multiple different angles. Lance, however, had his own traditional way of celebrating the wondrous view.

 

Taking out his sketchbook and pencil from his backpack, he began to search for one particular spot he always visited. It was a bit hard to get too, there were many rocks he had to climb over but it wasn’t too hard for him. After all, it was all worth it in order to get the _best_ view from the mountain.

 

After a few jumps here and there, Lance found the spot. It was a large boulder sitting close to the edge yet stable enough to not fall off, and Lance quickly sat on top of it and looked at the view in front of him. He managed a small smile, the view was helping him ease his nerves ever so slightly for the time being and he was happy to be alone, not having to worry about Keith being down his neck or anyone else. It was just Lance and nature, alone with his thoughts.

 

Lance wasted no time in getting to work, opening his sketchbook to a new page and quickly drawing the vast scene in front of him. He was a bit quicker and rough than usual, probably because his attitude was a bit irked, but Lance didn’t mind it at all. So what if the lines are darker and more jagged than usual? Art is art, and it comes and goes with style every so often. Lance was never one to stick with the same style, he flip-flopped over and over through time, and it especially depended on his mood.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon Lance’s sketchbook page was filled with the scene in front of him. He glanced down at it with a smile before shutting his sketchbook, putting it back into his backpack with his pencil and looking back at the vast mountains far away. His mind began to wonder now that his brain wasn’t occupied with details and lines, and of course it went to the one and only Keith.

 

Did Lance regret what he did last night with Keith? Yes, very much so that it hurt to think about it. He didn’t know what got into him, he hated to admit hearing Keith ramble about how Lance made him sexually frustrated actually turned him on, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it to Keith in a million years. But that didn’t matter Lance, what mattered was the fact that Lance took the one moment where Keith was vulnerable to him and made it into… _That._

 

Did Keith deserve better treatment from someone else other than Lance? Of course, Lance wanted to give the world to Keith yet he knew that would be impossible with his state of mind. He was always second guessing himself, he was never one hundred percent sure, and he could _never_ commit to a serious relationship. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, finding the one that he could well and truly love was something Lance ultimately wanted the most, yet there was something holding him back. Well, more that he was scared of them finding about who he really was and all that shit.

 

Did Lance want to love Keith? He wanted to. He really wanted to fall in love with Keith.

 

Was he too scared to admit his feelings? Yes.

 

Would he ever admit his feelings?

 

Never. Maybe before yesterday, but now it was a situation far too awkward for his liking. He was filled with so much regret that all Lance wanted to do was run away.

 

Closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath, Lance jumped off the boulder and felt his feet hit the ground. He was expecting to open his eyes to see the vast, open wide view he had enjoyed so far, but wishful thinking got the best of him.

 

Because instead of the view of the mountains, vast lakes and rivers mixed in with the redwoods, a man with a mullet stood with his arms crossed, gaze firmly planted on Lance.

 

“Hey.”

 

Lance froze as his feet hit the ground his heart dropping to his stomach as heard the voice. _No._ He thought, his heart beginning to race and a sweat beginning to form on his forehead. _Please don’t be. I don’t want to do this. I can’t do this. Please let it be my damn imagination._

 

Forcing to move his gaze to the sound of the voice more properly, Lance felt his breath hitch in his throat as he realized it really was Keith. No imagination unfortunately, and Lance was going to have to face Keith head on a bit earlier than he thought.

 

Keith stood with his arms crossed, a pained expression clearly shown across his face. He looked tired, dark circles underneath his dark eyes, and his eyebrows furrowing so hard that his forehead began to crease. Not only that, he looked pale. Keith’s skin was already lighter than anyone else he knew, so seeing Keith looking as pale as a ghost really just did the final blow to Lance’s heart.

 

 _Oh shit._ Lance’s mind began to race, his thoughts frantic. _I better say something. I need to say something. If I don’t, this could turn nasty. I don’t want to fight with Keith._

 

“H-hiya hey hey, K-Keith. My buddy, m-my dude.”

 

_Nice one, asshole. Really fucking nice._

 

Unexpectedly, Lance suddenly heard what he thought was a choked back laugh, and when he looked up to meet Keith’s gaze he was surprised to see a small smile tug the corners of his lips upward.

 

“Hiya hey hey?” Keith raised an eyebrow, “My buddy? My dude? That’s what you’re going to say to me after ignoring me for practically the whole day?”

 

Lance sighed, embarrassed beyond belief and looking back down onto the ground. “I-I”m not ignoring you.” He pouted, “I … I just have a lot of thoughts in my mind right now that I need to sort out because right now they’re all very conflicting and I don’t know how to go about them rationally.”

 

“Are …” Keith sighed, taking a cautious step towards Lance. “... Are the thoughts about … Well, about what happened between us last night?”

 

Lance was silent for a moment, before he mumbled out his response, only just loud enough for Keith to hear.

 

_“... Yes.”_

 

There was another long minute of silence between the two, neither of the men saying a word and seeming to process what Lance had just said. Though, eventually, Keith let out what Lance seemed to think was an irritable sigh before walking right next to Lance and leaning against the boulder with him, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at the scene in front of him. Lance looked up to him and pressed his lips together, unsure what to say or really think about what on earth Keith was thinking about.

 

Finally, Keith looked back over to Lance and licked his lips, beginning to speak once again.

 

“Do you want to talk about it? It’ll … Probably be better to talk about it together, since it really looks like it’s taking a toll on your mind and body.”

 

“Well, have you looked in the mirror yourself and heard your voice?” Lance let out a tired laugh, smiling slightly and shaking his head. “You have god knows how many dark circles under your eyes and you sound like you’ve smoked a dozen of cigarettes.”

 

“Trust me, I’ve seen worse days.” Keith let out a chuckle of his own, “Now, why don’t we … Just talk?”

 

Lance thought about it for a moment, though ultimately in the end he couldn’t exactly find a way to wiggle out of this situation. He knew it would have had to happen at some point, but perhaps now was a good time. He had been avoiding situations like this for far too long; At the art studio, when he invited Keith over for baking, and most likely many other times. If he didn’t do it now, then when was the next chance going to be?

 

 _No more running away, Lance._ He finally came to the conclusion. _It’s now or never; Take the chance. You may be scared now, but wouldn't it be better to deal with the heartbreak now rather than later?_

 

Taking a deep breath, Lance lifted his head up and stared up at the sky with a sad smile on his face.

 

“... Keith …” He began, “Where the hell do I even begin with you? I guess I’ll start at the beginning so it makes more sense, how about that?” Lance chuckled, looking back over to Keith to meet his gaze. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been the kind to avoid confrontation like this. I’m … Always too scared on how it’s always going to turn out, I always think about what’s the worse that’s going to happen in a situation rather than the brighter outcome, and it consumes me into a fear that I can never get past. I’ve … I’ve tried many times before to get past that fear, but in the end I always end up running away.”

 

“Lance …” Keith stared at Lance with a genuine troubled expression, though Lance soon shook his head.

 

“However, when I began to learn about you, get to know you, I … I-I began to try to look past those fears.” Lance felt his cheeks warm up, “I began to become a bit more honest with how a felt, only a little bit, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. I gradually began to realize how comfortable I was around you, how I could easily be so vulnerable around you, and how my fears seemed to just go away for the time being around you. How on earth could that happen from a guy I used to hate?” He chuckled, “How could this happen with the Pizza Delivery guy who just randomly came up to my doorstep one day?”

 

“Actually, it wasn’t random.” Keith joked, “You asked for the hottest delivery dude and here I am.”

 

“Come one, you know I asked for a girl.” Lance rolled his eyes, his smile becoming a bit more genuine. “I bet you thought I was your typical straight dude when I started spewing that nonsense at you, didn’t you?”

 

Keith pursed his lips in thought, “Kind of? I thought of you more of a douchebag rather than that, if I had to be honest. You really irked my nerves.”

 

“Jeez. Thanks a lot, Mullet Head.” Lance groaned, and Keith let out a loud laugh. “But I’m sure you had a good laugh about it, didn’t you?”

 

“Easily one of the _best_ moments in my life, hands down.” Keith said, his smile growing admirable. “After all, look how far we’ve come. In all honestly, the situation could have gotten a lot worse if we weren’t so mature about it.”

 

“Sure, sure.” Lance shook his head, “But let’s get back to the topic at hand-” He cleared his throat, “Though I was questioning ‘Why him?’, I continued to allow myself to become vulnerable to you. I became so vulnerable to the point where I began to constantly think about my feelings about you, and what your feelings were about me. I … I really thought you still hated me, Keith. And that was the one thing still holding me back from telling you how I felt.”

 

Keith fell silent once again, though he still stared at Lance with a concerning expression. Lance took a moment to recuperate his thoughts before continuing, allowing his voice to grow a little more silent as he realized what he was about to confess to.

 

“I told myself that you didn’t like me. I believed myself. I told myself that and I believed my sorry ass because I was too scared to find out how you felt about me or the kind of person I was. You know that night out on the art balcony? Where I fell asleep on your shoulder? I really wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I was so damn _scared._ So many times I wanted to say how much you meant to me, but … I couldn’t.”

 

Lance looked away, sighing and feeling his face heat up all the more. “So when … You told me how you were getting all sexually frustrated because of me, I got cocky and my mind immediately went to the thought that you liked me. But that isn’t true, isn’t it?” His voice cracked, “You can’t like me, right? I’m a shut-in art student with nothing interesting about him. There’s no way you’d like a guy like me, right? And there I was last night, taking advantage of you when you were completely inexperienced and thinking way over my head. I feel so damn guilty, Keith. I shouldn’t have done that to you last night. How could you not hate me after all that? You have every right to hate me.”

 

Lance finally sighed, feeling defeated. He couldn’t look over to Keith; He felt humiliated and he couldn't bare to look at his face. He didn’t want to. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest, and his mind and body were screaming at him to run away. Yet, he couldn’t. Something was holding him back, and Lance wanted to hear what Keith had to say. Well-- That’s if he had _anything_ to say.

 

Forcing out a laugh, Lance smiled bitterly though still kept his head down. “There you have it. Those are my thoughts. I guess I’ll let that sink into your mind for a while, but go ahead and say if you’re mad or angry at me for-”

 

 _“I’m not angry”_ Keith interrupted suddenly, cutting off Lance. “I’m not angry at all, Lance. I’m … I’m relieved.”

 

Tearing his eyes off the ground, Lance’s gaze finally landed on Keith and he was relieved to see a smile spread across his tired face. Despite the dark circled and rugged hair, the smile brought a radiance to Keith’s face, and Lance felt a sense of relief wash over his body.

 

“Lance, hearing all that I really can’t blame you for anything. Not that I ever did or anything, but it just makes more sense now.” His smile grew across his face, and Keith turned his body towards Lance while still leaning on the rock. “And if you feel guilty then _don’t._ I knew full well what we were getting into and I consented, and … Yeah. It felt good. I liked it.”

 

“Y-you liked it?” Lance nearly jumped up, staring at Keith with wide-eyes full of shock. “You liked _all_ of it?!”

 

Keith shrugged, “Yeah. It was an experience.”

 

“You sucked my dick, dude!”

 

“Yeah. I did. So what?”

 

Lance groaned, feeling his head hit against the boulder. “What the hell am I going to do with you? Honestly? Here I was overreacting like the idiot I am while you’re completely chill about it, I’m such a fucking moron. We really need to communicate more, don’t we?”

 

“Perhaps, but isn’t it better that we communicated now than continue to ignore each other?” Keith questioned, raising an eyebrow. “This could have gotten a whole lot uglier if we continued to ignore each other, but … I couldn’t allow myself to let it drag on.”

 

“You have no idea how much I wanted to talk to you, but again I was more worried about the bad outcomes than the good ones.” Lance mumbled, “You make me have a lot of feelings about you, Keith.”

 

“Hmm. Is that so?” Keith sarcastically questioned, rolling his eyes playfully. “I should have guessed. Though, I think I get the jist of the majority of your feelings now.”

 

“Sure you do.” Lance finally allowed a genuine smile to spread across his face, his chest finally lifted from his concerns. “But don’t get too cocky over there now that I’ve explained everything.”

 

The two laughed and instead of looking at each other in fear and uncertainty, the two men stared at each other with a look of genuine fondness to one another. Lance knew his cheeks were beyond red and he could see redness spread across Keith’s cheeks as well, and seeing that adorable sight only made his heart race all the more for a completely new reason now. None of the said a thing to each other, but instead continued to stare at each other as if all their worries had gone away.

 

Eventually, though, Lance cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit shy once again.

 

“So ... Last night was completely consensual, right?”

 

Keith nodded, “Yup.”

 

“And you have no regrets about last night and you don’t hate me?” Lance continued, and Keith nodded again.

 

“No regrets. Don’t hate you at all.”

 

Finally, Lance sucked in a deep breath.

 

“... And what I heard from your mouth was … A-a confession of sorts, right?”

 

Keith paused for a moment, though it didn’t take long for him to answer.

 

“If you want it to be a confession, then yes it was.”

 

Lance felt his heart soar, and he couldn’t stop staring at Keith with dumbfounded expression. In all honesty, he was still processing what Keith had just said, but that didn’t stop Keith from bursting into loud laughter. He doubled over in laughter and held onto his stomach, Lance continuing to stare at Keith completely bewildered and at a loss for words, waiting for Keith to say something first instead of embarrassing himself even more.

 

It took a moment for Keith to regain his composure, but when he did, he wasted not time in getting as close as he could to Lance and trailing his hand against his jacket, though with a bit of caution.

 

“You have no idea what your face looks like right now, and it’s _hilarious.”_ Keith giggled, and Lance didn’t know until then that Keith could actually giggle. It was adorable as fuck. His heart was going to burst just from the sound alone.

 

“Yeah. I’m giving myself to process my thoughts.” Lance confessed, his voice cracking once more. “You like me. You actually like me. What the hell is this.”

 

Keith sighed, poking Lance’s cheek playfully. “It’s reality, Lance. So are you going to respond or what? I’ve been waiting since last night, though I’m sure I already know your answer based on what you just explained to me.”

 

Wiping the dumbfounded look off his face. Lance stared at Keith for a brief moment and finally came to terms of the situation. It was still hard to believe, but Keith was right. This was reality, and everything Lance thought wouldn’t come true just had.

 

If this were a dream he was going to jump off a cliff when he woke up, but it felt too real. Lance knew this was really happening, and he had to stop thinking negatively for once and to start looking forward to the more brighter things in life.

 

So instead of running away, scared of his thoughts or embarrassed, Lance smiled smugly and felt himself regain his composure. He slipped his arms around Keith’s waist and pulled him as close as he could to his body, pressing his forehead against his and staring directly into Keith’s eyes. He saw that Keith didn’t back away either, and that he too wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist and had a small smile on his face.

 

“Well,” Lance began, the life finally back to the tone of his voice. “I suppose things are going to be a bit more awkward now, huh?”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, “Nothing’s going to change really other than the fact that we’re aware of our feelings for one another now.”

 

“Wow, got any other lines from Hot Topic or something?” Lance joked, and Keith let out a groan.

 

“You really know how to make things romantic, don’t you?”

 

Lance’s smile grew even more across his face, “Yeah, but I know you _love it.”_

 

“Sure I do.” Keith grumbled, “You’re lucky that I do. Otherwise I would be punching your stupid smile off your face.”

 

“Awww. love ya too, Keith.”

 

As Keith began to pouted, Lance blew a huff of hot air against Keith’s neck and he let out a gasp. Lance laughed at his reaction, feeling his smirk only grow across his face as he realized he forgot to ask Keith one more tiny detail.

 

“Hey, Keith.”

 

Keith stopped pouting and instead glared up at Lance with a questioning gaze, supposedly a bit wary of the sudden sly grin growing across his face and worrying what the hell he was up to now.

 

However, Lance didn’t stop himself and proceeded to ask Keith his last and final, most important question.

 

“Will you be the extra cheese to my pizza?”

 

This time, it was Keith who was the dumbfounded one for a few brief moments. When he finally realized what Lance had meant, he couldn’t resist smiling and he brought his face closer towards Lance’s. Once again, their foreheads began to touch and this time even their noses, and Lance could practically fall in love with Keith over again just looking into his eyes and seeing the happy gleam behind them. _This is the man I chose to fall in love with._ Lance thought. _However, instead of running away from my feelings this time, I chased them right to the end._

 

Smiling lovingly, a sight Lance never thought he would see in his life, Keith whispered is answer to Lance.

 

“If you’re asking me to be your boyfriend, you already know the obvious answer you big goofball.”

 

Somehow managing to pull Keith in an even tighter and closer embrace, Lance buried his face into Keith’s hair and closed his eyes. His heart beat hard against his chest, and best of all, he could also feel Keith’s heartbeat as well against his chest. It was just as fast as his, and the feeling was all too new to him.

 

All along, the two of them probably felt the same way. That’s what Lance believed, and it was most likely true. Keith didn’t have to tell him that anymore, Keith didn’t have to wait for his answer anymore like he said, and the two were stepping into a whole new world together now that they had realized together, as a couple, what they ultimately wanted.

 

Lance hasn't explained everything he wanted to, but for the time being it was enough. Through time, we was sure he would grow more comfortable about his feelings and allow himself to be one hundred percent genuine with Keith, but first he had to get past his current fears. Though not even his fears could hold back Lance back anymore, that's what Lance hoped at least, and that's how he knew these were his true and genuine feelings. He knew it was a step towards the right direction, and he was going to do that hand-in-hand with Keith.

 

Nothing was going to hold Lance back anymore.

 

From now on, nothing was going to hold him back from falling in love with Keith.

 

“... As you can see, the two boys finally came to realization of their feelings for one another. It is such a dramatical conclusion to the many months of _sexual tension_ ”

 

Lance felt himself freeze up, a voice suddenly beaming out in a loud, obnoxious whisper behind his back. He could feel Keith freeze up in his arms as well, and neither of the two moved a single inch at the sudden intrusion of the voice.

 

“Despite it being _painfully_ obvious,” A different voice this time, “The two finally decided to take the magical steps together as a couple even though they’ve already gone past third base. What a messy yet _sticky_ situation this is!”

 

That voice was all too familiar to Lance; Cocky, witty, obnoxious when the moment was right, and humorous in the wrong situations, such as this one. It belonged to the certain four-eyes gremlin and their sidekick the gentle giant, and though Lance wasn’t very angry with the gentle giant, his anger was clearly directed towards _four eyes._

 

 _“Pidge you mother FUCKER!”_ Lance suddenly turned around, letting go of Keith and his tone full of anger. “What the _fuck!”_

 

“Oh shit-”! Pidge jumped up from the bushes despite not exactly being very well hidden, a large sly smile spreading across their face. “Lance is all angry because we interrupted the sentimental bonding moment so we better do a runner!”

 

“Second that!” Hunk stood up this time, following after Pidge though with a more apologetic face. “Sorry, man! I’m being honest, though, really happy for you two and wish you all the luck on your new relationship!”

 

“Get the fuck back over here you two!” Lance shouted at the two, pointing an angry finger at Pidge. “Especially you! You’re so dead when I get my hands on you!”

 

Pidge laughed, _“Kiss my ass,_ Lance McClain!”

 

Keith stood their in shock, his eyes fixed on Lance then at Pidge and Hunk until they disappeared out of sight. When they finally had, Lance groaned and leaned back against the rock with his eyes closed. His lips pressed together to formed a thin line, and he tried his best to calm himself down despite being knowingly, very openly angry.

 

“Y’know,” Lance finally spoke, sighing. “I sometimes forget how much of a little devil Pidge can be with Hunk.”

 

Keith sighed as well, leaning against Lance's shoulder. “W-well, uh … Sorry to break the ice, but they _may_ have followed me here when I said I was going to look for you?”

 

Lance paled, “So do you think they heard everything we talked about?”

 

Keith shrugged, looking at Lance with a plain expression.

 

“Well, Pidge knows about me sucking you off now so I think it’s safe to say that... Yeah.”

 

Lance groaned feeling his face begin to heat up all the more. This time, though, it was out of embarrassment and anger combined.

 

“I’m going to kill Pidge later. And I seriously mean that. It was all romantic and shit before they ruined our bonding moment.”

 

Keith chuckled, shaking his head before grabbing Lance’s hand intertwining his fingers with Lance’s while beginning to pull him towards where he had came from. Lance reluctantly followed him, but as soon as he saw the smirk on his face he couldn’t help but feel his anger slowly fade away. So instead of following a few steps behind him, Lance took a few quick steps forward and gave Keith’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

“Come on, babe.” Keith spoke, his tone teasing. “We can reprimand Pidge together and continue our bonding moment later _all alone.”_

 

That was one request Lance definitely couldn’t resist.

  
Especially in _that_ tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This chapter was going to be full on angst, but I decided halfway through the angst that I didn't want to torture you all (yet c;) so! Instead they grew a pair of balls and talked it out like mature men. :3
> 
> Right after this chapter is posted I'm going to continue playing Pokemon Ultra Sun. Honestly? Not that impressed yet, it feels like they completely copy and pasted the original game with a few bits here and there. But hey- I'm only on the second island so I can't exactly say anything yet. I like the surfing game from island to island though!
> 
> Then after that, I'm back to Cuphead and Fire Emblem Warriors (And replaying DRAMAtical Murder). Sooooo many video games ... I'm still catching up from games from a year ago that I bought lmfao. I'm going to have to try and play some over Winter Break at this point.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter! The two are now a happy couple and what adventures shall be waiting for them now? Well, well ... We shall see, who knows what will happen next? I have a general idea, but we shall see c;
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129


	12. Slice of... Pie?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the final day of the camping trip, Keith and Lance take every moment they can to spend together before the trip ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M FINALLY BACK FROM MY HIATUS!!!! My finals are done, I'm 90% packed up and ready to move, and I'm finally able to officially go on my computer and write despite having a major writing block!!
> 
> I am so sorry I didn't update for around 4 weeks, my finals were brutal and I was far too busy to be writing. I felt really bad but I had essays and Digital Media projects to make sure were in mint and perfect condition. But now that they're over... I'm able to write ;o;
> 
> I tried to make this chapter quite long, it was originally going to be in Lance's perspective but then my mind went "Oh hey how about Keith yahoo" and here we are now xD It's got lots of fluff for you and a slight bit of Keith angst? ;3
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy! The chapter is in Keith's perspective~

“Lance…”

 

“Mn....”

 

“La-n-ce.”

 

“...”

 

_“Lance.”_

 

“... Gimme five… minutes…”

 

“I’ve already given you two five minute warnings. That’s a total of ten extra minutes of sleep I’ve given you.”

 

Lance yawned, curling up even closer to Keith.

 

“... Five more minutes. I promise this time.”

 

Keith sighed, smiling despite the fact that Lance seemed to be taking his sweet time getting up. Instead of complaining about it, which he knew complaining would be futile in the first place, he ran his hand through Lance’s messy bedhead and wrapped his other arm around his waist. He kept his gaze upon Lance’s sleeping face, which was utterly adorable because every so often he would furrow an eyebrow or pout. It was hard to sleep that night because Keith couldn’t stop staring at Lance’s face.

 

 _How on earth did this all happen?_ Keith thought to himself, feeling Lance’s hair run in between his fingertips. _When did we start becoming aware of our feelings for one another?_

 

Keith had a feeling back when he saw Lance for the second time there was something about him, but he would have never guessed it would have turned out like this. He used to actually hate Lance, and he ever so wished and even imagined that he had some sort of superpower that involved him yelling at Lance to blow him up. But somehow, whether it be a miracle or Keith had an undiscovered softside, he found himself loving every single thing about Lance.

 

Rolling his eyes due to his cheeks suddenly becoming very warm and obviously red, Keith took his hand from Lance’s hair and began to poke his cheek. Lance’s five minutes were up.

 

“Okay, you’ve had another five minutes now.” Keith spoke softly, “Time to wake up and smell the roses.”

 

Keith shouldn’t have been surprised, but Lance shook his head for the fourth time.

 

“No…” He yawned again, rolling over and facing away from Keith. “Gimme… More… Time.”

 

Keith stared at the back of Lance’s head in silence for a minute before taking his cold hand and shoving it up Lance’s shirt, firmly pressing it against his warm skin.

 

Lance yelled, immediately jumping up from his sleeping bag and away from Keith with a look of complete betrayal sprawled across his face.

 

“KEITH, WHAT THE FUCK?!” Lance turned sharply to face Keith, his eyes full of anger.

 

“Hm?” Keith hummed, amused by his reaction. “What’s wrong? I was just giving you a wake up call.”

 

“That wasn’t waking me up! That was putting your cold ass hand on my back to torture me!”

 

Keith sighed, “I already gave you fifteen extra minutes of sleep and I can’t believe I’m saying this because I didn’t even want to come on this trip at first but I want to actually do stuff today. With _you._ ”

 

Lance pouted, the anger quickly fading away from his eyes as he listened to what Keith had to say. Eventually giving in, Lance stretched his arms up in the air and let out one last yawn, still looking tired despite having a harsh wakeup.

 

“Well good morning to you too, _baby.”_

 

Keith blushed, covering his mouth in embarrassment from Lance’s nickname. “Y-yeah. Morning.”

 

The two stared at each other in silence for about a minutes, Keith becoming redder and redder by the second while Lance seemed to just be trying to wake up. He wasn’t used to being Lance’s boyfriend yet despite their relationship changing in the slightest. Well-- it wasn’t that it didn’t _completely_ change, it was just that now the two were aware of their feelings and now could do more.... _Touchy_ couple kind of stuff.

 

In all, Keith had no fucking idea what couples did together. Lance was his first ever partner.

 

Which made him all the more embarrassed and even confused on what the hell he was supposed to do. He was acting all high and mighty before he was Lance’s boyfriend an even made moves on him, but now that he was his boyfriend he was the one who became embarrassed while Lance was the high almighty cocky one. Keith knew it was just him being impatient back then, but now that he got what he ultimately desired, he was at a standstill on what the hell he was supposed to do now.

 

Did he do the same things as before? Could he cold Lance’s hand without asking? Cuddle up to him? Hug him? Kiss him? All the more? Keith didn’t know where to start, and the more he thought about it the more confused be ultimately became. The only reason why he was cuddling up to Lance through the night was down the the fact that Lance himself initiated the cuddle by wrapping his arms around Keith, and Keith of course returned the favor and fell asleep with his arms around him.

 

And he didn’t even know where to start when he gave Lance a blowjob. That… That was something he still wondered about himself.

 

 _What the fuck do I do now._ Keith internally cursed himself. _What. the. Fuck._

 

“You’re doing it again.”

 

Lance’s voice suddenly cut of Keith’s train out thought, and he quickly shook his head in order to pay attention to Lance. He pouted, unsure what the hell Lance meant.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Lance chuckled, “When you’re seriously overthinking about something, you furrow your eyebrows so much that your forehead creases.”

 

“It’s not my fault…” Keith looked away, and Lance let out a laugh.

 

“No, no. I’m not blaming you for anything, Keith.” Lance moved closer to Keith, a wide lazy smile plastered across his face. “I actually think it’s really god damn cute and it should be illegal.”

 

“Y-you’re not helping.” Keith defended himself, his face all the more as he saw Lance come closer and closer to his side.

 

“Oh, I know. Keep on doing it, but the more you do it the more likely your gonna get wrinkles when you grow older.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, “Jeez. Thanks for the wakeup call, Lancelot.”

 

“Anything for you, my Slice of Pie.”

 

“Really? That’s what you’re going to call me?”

 

Lance stared at Keith for a second before his grin grew even wider across his face.

 

“Well, I was going to call you my Slice of Pizza but that would have been _too cheesy.”_

 

Keith shouldn’t have gotten red from the pun. Or pickup line. Whatever it was. He shouldn’t have gotten red or embarrassed over it, but somehow he did. He found Lance’s horrible pick up line attractive and charming at the same time as finding it beyond stupid and frustrating. And he knew it was because it came from Lance’s mouth. If it was from anyone else he would probably punch them, but because it was Lance? Attractive. Really fucking attractive.

 

Pressing the palm of his hand against his forehead, Keith groaned in a poor attempt to hide or get rid of his red face. This, however, only seemed to provoke Lance all the more.

 

“Are you getting red because of my pun?” Lance grinned ear-to-ear.

 

“Shut up.” Keith grumbled, but Lance only pressed on even more.

 

“You are. You totally are!”

 

_“Lance.”_

 

“I knew it! You _love_ my puns!”

 

“Lance I swear to fuck if you don’t stop in the next five seconds I will put my hand down your ass this time.”

 

Lance fell quiet within seconds, pressing his lips together. “Got it.”

 

It was silent only for a few seconds, Keith staring Lance down with a stern gaze despite his cheeks flushed a bright red. Soon Lance decided to let out a soft sigh and finally broke the distance between him and Keith, placing his head against Keith’s shoulder and intertwining his hand with Keith’s. Keith felt his heart begin to race, and he nearly reflectively pulled his hand away from the sudden sentimental touch.

 

But he didn’t, and Keith somehow mustered up the strength to give Keith’s hand a fond squeeze.

 

“Still gonna put your hand down my back now that I’m holding your hand?” Lance chuckled, and Keith rolled his eyes once again.

 

“I have my other hand.”

 

Lance quickly grabbed Keith’s other free hand, smirking. “Not anymore.”

 

Keith sighed, “You’re really taking every moment you can to get touchy-touchy with me now that we’re an official couple now, aren’t you?”

 

 _Not that I don’t mind…_ Keith added in his head, but instead keeping his lips shut.

 

It took a moment for Lance to respond, Keith didn’t mind, but in the end Lance ended up pressing a surprise kiss to Keith’s neck. He kept his lips pressed there for a few seconds longer than needed, and when Lance did pull away Keith could feel his warm breath against his neck. Keith didn’t know how to respond; His heart was beating frantically against his chest while his mind felt like it was going to explode, and he could feel his body temperature gradually rise by the second. The more Keith wrapped his head around it, the more it was hard to hide his embarrassment from Lance, whose lips were still a meer inch away from his neck.

 

“Your hands are really cold…” Lance whispered finally after the pause of silence, and Keith bit down on his lower lip before he allowed his own trembling voice to speak out.

 

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

 

Lance chuckled, “But now you have my hands to keep them warm, don’t you?”

 

“O-only if you allow me to keep holding onto it for a little while longer.”

 

“How long are you planning on holding them then? The others are probably waiting-”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, giving Lance’s hands a squeeze before beginning to speak again.

 

“Until I decide when my hands are warm enough.”

 

“Says the guy who was pissed about me sleeping a little while longer.” Lance let out another laugh, and Keith himself couldn’t help but feel a smile tug the corners of his lips upward.

 

“Your snoring was annoying me.” Keith joked, “And I’ve been awake for nearly an hour now just waiting for you to wake up.”

 

“Don’t worry, I know you were staring at my beautiful sleeping face.” Lance joked, unaware that Keith was _actually_ staring at him while sleeping. “But… Just make sure it isn’t too long, okay? Like you said, the others are waiting and it’s our last day camping. We have to make the best out of it.”

 

“Yeah…” Keith sighed, closing his eyes and allowing his body to completely rest against Lance’s. “I guess.”

 

Lance pressed another kiss onto Keith, this time on his cheek. “You’re adorable.”

 

“And you’re irritable.”

 

“And yet you still like me.”

 

“... When you keep your mouth shut.”

 

“You’re breaking my heart here, babe.”

 

Keith opened his eyes, looking into Lance’s with a hint of amusement. “Sure I am. You sure do look heartbroken.”

 

“Yeah, I totally am!” Lance frowned pitifully, “You’re supposed to the extra cheese to my pizza and you’re instead a soggy, uncooked dough.”

 

“I swear if you make one more damn pizza reference-” Keith warned, though his smile was growing across his face. “-I will seriously get my hands as cold as possible and grab your dick.”

 

_“Keith!”_

 

“Just a warning. A simple warning. Make a wise decision, Loverboy.”

 

Lance sighed, “First my back, then threatening my ass and now my dick.” He raised his eyebrows, “I mean-- I’m not _opposed_ to you touching those places, but just make sure your hands are somewhat warm-”

 

“You don’t need to talk anymore.” Keith felt his face, once again, heat up from utter embarrassment. “I get it. I’ve changed my mind. I retract my threats.”

 

“... _Damn.”_

 

Keith sighed, leaning closer to Lance and eventually resting his head in his lap. He looked up to Lance’s face and just continued to stare at him, unsure what to do or what to say; He simply just wanted to look at Lance and nothing more. Eventually, Lance smiled and ran his hand through Keith’s hair as well as occasionally poking Keith’s numerous facial piercings (which he found strange-- did Lance really like them or something?), but the two in all continued to sit in silence.

 

Keith eventually closed his eyes,and just focused on Lance’s touch instead. It felt nice and relaxing, he was beginning to think that even though this was the first time sleeping with Lance as a boyfriend he had to have him by his side every time he woke up from now on. He could honestly look forward to everyday if Lance woke up by his side, and it would motivate him all the more to open his eyes knowing that he would be the first thing to come into his vision. Keith used to hate the thought of someone sleeping in the same room as him, but Lance? He wouldn’t even question it.

 

Suddenly, Keith felt something press against his forehead; A soft, warm pair of lips. Opening his eyes carefully, he saw Lance hoverwing over his face with a charming smile on his lips, his eyes completely focused on him with nothing but pure affection. His own tan, dark cheeks were stained a dark red and Keith just couldn’t get enough of the sight. Without realizing it, Keith had his own tender, warm hearted smile spreading across his lips.

 

“Don’t you go falling asleep on me now that I’m fully awake, Mullet.” Lance teased, and Keith raised a hand up to stroke Lance’s cheek.

 

“Don’t worry, I was just thinking about you.”

 

“Why think about me when I’m here right in front of you?” Lance lowered the tone of his voice, “No need to imagine anymore, Keith. I’m all yours.”

 

“Then…” Keith glanced away for a moment, sucked in a deep breath, and then looked right back into Lance’s gaze. “... Can I kiss you then?”

 

Lance stared at Keith quizzically for a brief second before another fond smile broke across his cheeks, the redness darkening as well. He shook his head, slowly bringing his face closer and closer to Keith’s and gradually closing the distance.

 

“You don’t need to ask. Just kiss me whenever you feel like it.”

 

Without another word, Lance closed the distance and Keith closed his eyes, feeling him press his lips against his.

 

The first thing Keith noticed was when his lips met Lance’s was how soft and delicate they were against his, warm and gentle to the touch. The amount of care Lance put into the kiss was so careful and lovingly that Keith had no idea how to react besides pressing his lips back against his. Lance carefully then placed his hand to the side of Keith’s cheek, carefully caressing it as he decided to deepen the kiss a little more. It send waves of electricity down Keith’s back; and he couldn’t help but wrapping his arms around Lance’s waist as he felt him deepen the kiss ever so slightly.

 

Before Lance completely pulled away from the kiss, he bit down on Keith’s lower lip and licked at it slightly. Another shiver, this time more of pleasure, zipped down Keith;s back and he couldn't help but let a soft noise leave his lips. After Lance had pulled away, Keith stared at Lance in a daze as he felt his heart pound against his chest. Lance seemed to be in the same state, his pupils dilated and his cheeks stained a dark red.

 

And it was then that Keith realized that it was not only his first kiss with Lance, but his first kiss _ever._

 

“A-ah…”

 

Keith couldn’t even speak; his voice wouldn't leave his throat and all that could leave his lips were random, embarrassed sounds. To save himself from further awkwardness, Keith slapped a hand over his lips and continued to feel himself heat up.

 

“Keith?” Lance seemed more amused than concerned with the smirk on his face. “You doing okay there, buddy?”

 

“That was my first kiss.”

 

“With me? Of course, we only just--”

 

“Not with you-!” Keith hissed, “My first one _ever!”_

 

Now Lance was the one silent, his brain seeming to process what Keith had just said before his face turned redder than ever.

 

“That was your first kiss _ever?!”_

 

“Please don’t shout that out loud.” Keith groaned, feeling himself digging his grave faster and faster with every word that left his mouth. “I thought we already established the fact that I’m very inexperienced.”

 

“But I thought you hadn’t kissed a girl, that’s all!” Lance looked like he was going to burst as well, and Keith couldn’t help but find it amusing that even he was overreacting.

 

“Well, I-I haven’t kissed a guy ever either.”

 

“If I had know you’ve never kissed someone then I wouldn’t have let you sucked my di-!”

 

_“We don’t talk about that anymore.”_

 

Lance quickly zipped his lips, “Got it.”

 

The two sat in awkward silence, occasionally staring at each other before Keith eventually cleared his throat in order to get Lance’s attention.

 

“Should… Should we get ready for whatever we are doing today?”

 

Lance eventually sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, “I guess… Just give me a moment to recover from my heart attack I guess.”

 

“Did I really hsock you that much?” Keith chuckled, and Lance let out an annoyed groan.

 

“Yeah, you really did. Nice job, Mullet.”

 

“I guess I’ll take some pride in that.”

 

Lance finally let out a laugh and glanced over to Keith with a wide smile on his face despite still being completely red. Before getting up and preparing to leave the tent, he leaned over towards Keith and pressed a kiss onto his cheek without warning. Keith easily became red once again at the sudden affectionate gesture, but of course he wasn’t going to complain about it.

 

“Just tell me if you ever don’t feel comfortable or something, alright?” Lance said, standing up and making his way towards the tent opening. “Oh, and if my kisses suck, which I doubt they don’t.”

 

Keith chuckled, following Lance. “Your kiss was magnificent, magic man.”

 

“Good.” Lance opened the zipper to the tent and stepped outside, “Now, I wonder what we’re all going to do today…”

 

* * *

 

 

“Pidge I swear to _fuck_ you better get your ass back over here!”

 

Keith heard a loud splash but chose to ignore it, knowing that the two were obviously up to no good.

 

“Kiss my ass, McClain!”

 

Another splash. Even if Keith wasn’t one hundred percent sure yet that something stupid was going on between Keith and Pidge, as per usual, he would have been certain now.

 

“G-guys! Be careful with those rocks! You could get hurt!”

 

 _At least someone is being careful_. Keith thought to himself as he heard Hunk warn the two, knowing that he was overwatching them and being sure they don’t get hurt in their shenanigans. However, he still continued to keep his back to them as he did not want to get his ass involved in whatever they were doing.

 

The group decided for the last day of the trip to go down to the many lakes to hang out and just relax, though Keith should have known that anything involving water would be stressful if Lance was around. He knew beforehand coming on this camping trip that Lance absolutely _loved_ the water, more specifically the ocean but lakes were fine as well, and this was probably something else he was most likely looking forward to as well. Keith didn’t mind despite not being a big fan of the water himself, he didn’t dislike it but he just simply did not like it, but he could probably be tolerable to it just for Lance.

 

For now though, he sat on the side with Coran. Hunk, Lance, and Pidge were messing around (Though it was more Lance and Pidge with Hunk parenting them), while Shiro and Allura were in the water a bits away themselves relaxing more than playing around. If Lance forced or begged him to go into the water, then he would. For now, it looked like he was having some fun with Hunk and Pidge, and he knew that there was plenty of time for the two of them to hang out together later in in the future.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join everyone in the water, Keith?” Coran asked Keith, looking at him with an eyebrow raised as Keith shook his head, taking a quick glance towards Lance before turning back to Coran.

 

“I”m fine, no need to worry about me, Coran.” He smiled, “Seeing Lance having fun makes me happy and that’s enough for me.”

 

“I see.” Coran mused, turning his own gaze onto Lance now.” He’s still a child at heart no matter how old he gets, isn’t he?”

 

Keith nodded, “Yeah, he’s annoyingly childish. Incredibly.”

 

“And yet you two still manage to like each other despite being polar opposites.” Coran chuckled, and Keith couldn’t help but let a laugh of his own escape his lips.

 

“I suppose that’s one way you can put it.” He sighed, “But I see it as being a bubbly part of Lance’s personality. It may be childish, but he’s always full of bright energy and charisma which makes him all the more lovable.”

 

“In all honesty, I think we were all just waiting on not how you two were going to get together, but _when_.” Coran said, leaning back on his elbows. “Who would have that that the two men who used to hate each other and bicker out of spite would end up holding hands with one another? Aren’t you shocked yourself?”

 

“Yeah, it… It’s still actually processing in my head in all honesty.” Keith admitted out loud, staring in the direction of Lance once more. “The shut-in kid who did nothing but do pizza deliveries for a part time job managed to get a boyfriend by delivering his pizza which _apparently_ was not to his liking. It’s almost something out of a cheesy romance novel.”

 

Coran hummed, “I suppose you could say that, but life is a journey full of unexpected twists in the end.

 

“Yeah… You could say that.”

 

Keith fell silent as his gaze remained on Lance, watching him throw rocks and splash water at Pidge in a fun manner. Pidge did the same back to him, of course, but Keith merely focused on Lance’s face. It was flushed red from exhilaration and perhaps slight exhaustion from trying to keep up with Pidge, and even despite all that he still had a wide grin plastered across his face. Lance was laughing as well, and with his hair wet and pushed back it was a wonderful sight to see; Keith couldn’t get enough of Lance when he just looked normal, but when he was smiling and laughing Keith decided he was just falling in love with him even more.

 

A soft sigh left Keith’s lips unawarely, and he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. He rested his chin on top of his knees and continued to observe Lance from the distance, also unaware of the small smile tugging the corners of his lips upward. Coran let out a soft laugh, amused at Keith watching Lance.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join them?”

 

Keith shook his head, “I would be much safer here than standing near those two with the chance of getting hit by a rock or flooded by water.”

 

“Well, as long as you’re not sad about it then do as you please.” Coran said, “Just enjoy yourself as best you can as this your last day of camping, Keith.”

 

“Don’t worry, I will.” Keith gave Coran an appreciative glance, however he quickly thought of something and allowed his mouth to speak before he could give it a second thought. “Actually-- Can I ask you something, Coran?”

 

“Of course, Keith!” Coran sat up, clasping his hands together. “Ask me anything you please!”

 

“A-ah. Okay…” Keith sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, surprised that Coran was so willing to let him ask his question. _Now… What did I want to ask him?_

 

Keith fell silent for a minute, a bit hesitant once he remembered what he was going to ask him. Still, he pushed through his anxiety and eventually his voice overpowered his more hesitant thoughts.

 

“... If y-you have any concerns or fears about…. Well, let’s just say I’m afraid of when we get back home it’ll just feel like this was all a dream, and--” Keith shook his head, “No, what I’m trying to ask is that is it better to voice concerns to your significant other or should you keep them to yourself no matter what that thought is?

 

Ever since he woke up with Lance by his side that morning, Keith had the thought stuck in his head that when he returns back home it will all end up being a dream. It was a stupid thought, he knew that, but it wasn’t stopping him thinking about the worst possible outcome. What if he woke up the day after coming back only to find that Lance didn’t want to be with him or it never happened? That was the last thing Keith wanted; for all the happiness to suddenly end.

 

Keith pressed his forehead against his knees, an irritable sigh escaping his lips He hated thinking about this and it was only making him feel worse and worse. It actually is part of the reason why Keith isn’t out in the water with Lance in all honesty, he was just worried that the longer he hangs around him the more he will think about it. The last thing Keith wanted was to let Lance know that he was thinking about the two not being together, but at the same time, Keith felt like Lance had a right to know his insecurities.

 

Closing his eyes, Keith waiting in bitter silence for Coran’s response.

 

“Are you worried about how Lance were to respond if you were to tell him about how you feel, Keith?” Coran finally spoke, asking Lance a question. It took Keith a moment to process what he said, but he nodded his head slowly before Coran let out a chuckle, continuing where he left off.

 

“It’s okay to feel scared and insecure at times, Keith. I can tell you’re not only thinking about your own feelings but Lance’s as well, and that’s okay. I think you should talk to Lance about it, he won’t bite your head off or get mad about it and in fact I feel like he’d really appreciate it. It’s good to establish where your relationship is, and if the two of you are both very serious and honest about it… Then I think it will all turn out perfectly fine.”

 

Keith lifted his head up in order to look at Coran’s gaze and he was relieved to see him smiling. He felt a heavy weight lift off his chest and he knew now after talking and conferring with someone else that he knew what he had to do.

 

“You sure Lance will be okay with it?” Keith asked once again to make sure, “I don’t want to end up hurting his feelings with him thinking I’m already having thoughts and doubts like this…”

 

Coran sighed, “Keith, you need to have more hope and praise for yourself and you need to realize that Lance doesn’t hate you like _that.”_ He smiled again, “Yes, the two of you bicker beyond comparison to what normal couples do at time, but the fact of the matter is that what you two do isn’t hateful arguments but more childish quarrels. I don’t know if you’ve seen the way Lance looks at you, but he looks at you with the utmost pure affection I have ever seen.”

 

“H-he does?” Keith felt his heart thump in his chest, and Coran nodded.

 

“The amount of love and care Lance has for you is beyond what I know, but I can say that he would do _anything_ for you. You need to have more high expectations, Keith, and focus on what makes you two happy instead of what could go wrong. And if there any bumps in the way, I know Lance would do anything to make sure the both of you get past those hitches.”

 

Keith felt even more relieved, and he closed his eyes in order to catch his breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. It took him a moment to process his thoughts and to get them sorted out, but he knew that Coran was right. Facing the problem directly head on wasn’t the right choice, but with Lance by his side with proper communication was.

 

“Thank you so much, Coran.” Keith smiled, appreciative. “You really are full of wise wonders, you know that right?”

 

“That what you get being the oldest one in the group.” Coran let out a joyous laugh, crossing his arms across his chest proudly. “I practically watched Allura grow up and now I’m watching the pair of you grow up as well. I’m like a proud uncle, don’t you think?”

 

“Why do you think we call you Uncle Coran?” Keith raised his eyebrows, “You really are like the uncle we never had, and you certainly are one for me.”

 

“You’re going to make this old man cry in a moment if you don’t stop smothering me with praise and comments like that.” Coran joked, looking back towards the lake and his eyes suddenly lighting up. “Ah… You better watch out in three, two, one-”

 

Before Keith could even ask or process what was going on, he suddenly felt a _very_ heavy object slam into him at fast sleep. He felt his back hit the ground, which was lucky sand so the impact wasn’t too hard, and closed his eyes from the sudden weight on his body. When he opened his eyes to see what the hell had hit him, he wasn’t very surprised to see a pair of brown hair right in his line of vision, then a pair of brown eyes with a very, _very_ wide smile accompanied with them.

 

_“Lance!”_

 

“Hey, Keith!” Lance announced, completely ignoring the fact that he was sitting on top of him. “Watcha’ two old men talking about over here?!”

 

“Coran’s not that old, Lancie.” Pidge followed not far behind, standing nearby with their arms crossed. They weren't wearing their glasses since they were just in the water. “And Keith is only a few months older than you so if he's old then _you_ are too.”

 

Lance frowned, “Okay. I get your point.”

 

Hunk soon appeared next to Pidge, he too wet head to toe. “I’m the same age as them as well so I would appreciate it if I wasn’t old either. I’ve already got college to think about and I don’t want to worry about my age as well.”

 

“Hunk the savior!” Lance cheered, throwing his arms up in the air. “Always there to save my back no matter what!”

 

“If it wasn’t for me being by your side in the damn lake you would probably have a concussion from a rock…” Hunk mumbled under his breath, a large sigh leaving his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. Both Pidge and Lance rolled their eyes, and soon Lance returning his gaze and lopsided grin back towards Keith.

 

“Anyways, you gotta get up Mullet!” Lance announced, placing his hands onto Keith’s chest. “I want to take you someone cool before we head back to the camp and I really got to get you doing something besides sitting on your ass being lazy.”

 

“He’s totally gonna take Keith somewhere to make out…” Pidge whispered to Hunk very loudly, only being a borderline whisper. Lance rolled his eyes and ignored them, continuing to keep his gaze on Keith and awaiting his answer.

 

“W-well, uhhh…” Keith glanced down Lance’s body, trying his hardest not to look _too_ long but of course he couldn't resist. Lance was fucking hot without a shirt on. How on earth does a man like him have a nearly six pack when he literary sits around all day? “Sure. As long as you don’t splash or throw rocks at me, I’m down.”

 

“Agreed. I’ll get off you now that you’ve agreed.” Lance winked, carefully getting himself up and rubbing the sand off his body. “If you had said no, I would have continued sitting on you until you said yes.”

 

Keith sighed, getting up himself. “You’re heavy and a nuisance.”

 

“You know,” Hunk began, talking loudly towards Pidge. “I really can’t tell when they’re flirting or arguing with each other at this point. It all blends into one thing.”

 

“Well, that’s Keith and Lance for you.” Pidge smirked, staring at the new couple. “Kiss kiss fall in love while strangling each others throats.”

 

“What a wonderful couple.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more, Hunk.”

 

“You know we can hear you two, right?!” Lance shot the two brainiacs a stern glare and they simply shook their heads, smiling innocently as if they just hadn’t openly talking about Keith and Lance.

 

“Sorry?” Pidge seemed amused, their grin growing across their face. “Did you say something? Were we talking about something important? I simply cannot remember.”

 

Lance scowled, grabbing Keith’s arm and quickly dragging him away.

 

“Come on, let’s go and just ignore them.”

 

Keith glanced back at his group of friends and gave them a quick wave before Lance dragged him into the water.

 

As soon as his toe hit the water, Keith nearly retracted his whole body and made a run back to where Coran and the others were. If it wasn’t for Lance just dragging him into the water with no acceptions, he would have one hundred percent done that. But Lance’s grip was firm, and it even tightened around Keith’s wrist as he flinched from the cold water.

 

“Lance this is _fucking freezing!”_ Keith complained bitterly, biting down on his lip in a poor attempt to stop his teeth from chattering.

 

Lance smiled at Keith’s apin, “Want to press your body against mine to get warm?”

 

“Fuck you.” Keith groaned, reluctantly continuing to follow Lance into the water. “Where the hell are we going anyways?”

 

Lance finally let go of Keith’s wrist and began to swim in the water, glancing behind his back at Keith for a moment before answering his question.

 

“To a special spot I discovered a few years ago.”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow at his response but chose not to ask anymore as it looked like Lance was keeping the majority of information a surprise. Finally managing to submerge himself completely in the water despite his chattering teeth, Keith swam a few meters behind Lance before eventually swimming beside him after a few minutes.

 

One thing that was certain, they were going away from the population and to a more quiet area of the lake. More and more redwood trees began to appear the all that could be heard was the sound of water and animals chirping away in the nearby trees instead of people’s voices. KEith found the views to be very stunning, and he was growing more and more intrigued by the minute on where Lance was taking him. He didn’t want to admit it, but the anticipation was killing him.

 

“We’re nearly there, Keith.” Lance stopped swimming for a moment, treading in the water and pointing towards the shore. “It’s the rocks over there.”

 

Keith stopped to take a quick look, but it wasn’t until he began to swim over closer to the shore with Lance that he realized what it was. It was a rock cave that was partly submerged in the water, the only way to clearly access it by the looks of it was to swim to it, and as they drew closer to the cave itself Keith could clearly see that there were rocks in the inside where you could sit. There was even enough water to swim as well, and Keith couldn’t even begin to explain how amazing it was that Lance managed to find such a private yet beautiful place in nature.

 

Looking over to Lance for an answer, he gave Keith a quick glance and shrugged in the water.

 

“The others don’t like swimming as much as me, and one day I swam super far out and found this. Ever since then, I’ve came back here on my own.”

 

“You’ve never come here with Hunk or Pidge?” Keith asked, and Lance shook his head.

 

“Never.”

 

Keith couldn’t explain it, but he felt like this was a lot more sentimental now knowing that Lance has never taken anyone else here before.

 

Finally swimming up to the cave, the two men swam in and Keith wasted no time in getting out of the water. His body had grown used to the bitter cold temperature, but he didn’t like being submerged for too long. He decided to sit on top of a large rock, keeping his feet in the water while Lance stayed submerged with his back leaning against a rock. He looked up to Keith, smiling despite being slightly out of breath.

 

“What do you think?” He asked, “Cool, huh?”

 

Keith nodded, “It’s amazing. Beautiful.”

 

“Yeah, it really is.” Lance sighed, leaning his head back onto the rock and closing his eyes. “I was quite shocked when I found it myself, I almost thought it was a dream at first. But then when I came back a second time, I knew it had to be real and began to come here every time we all went camping. Just me by myself.”

 

“It’s a shame you can’t bring your sketchbook here,” Keith said, a smirk on his face. “Seems like the perfect place to draw or something.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right. But nothing but a little photographic memory can solve that.” Lance chuckled, “I’ve actually drawn this place quite a few times. Even painted. It’s the best during a sunset, but we won’t be able to stay here long enough for that.”

 

“Well, maybe one time we can just come together.” Keith spoke aimlessly. “Just the two of us camping, no one else, and we can do whatever you want. We can even come here and watch the sunset even if you want.”

 

Lance opened his eyes and looked up to Keith, his cheeks turning pink. “D-do you mean that? Just the two of us?”

 

“W-well!” Keith looked away and began to pout, his own face beginning to grow red. “That's if you want to, o-of course.”

 

“Of course, idiot.” Lance chuckled, “I would be happy to do that with you in the future when we have more time. Maybe in the summer? That was it will be much warmer.”

 

As soon as Lance mentioned the future, Keith immediately began to think about his concerns earlier on that he discussed with Coran. He felt his stomach lurch, his body pale, and he wasn’t so sure how to even approach the subject to Lance. Like Coran said, he needed to talk about it with Lance, and if he didn’t Keith was only going to feel like an absolute piece of shit to Lance.

 

Taking a deep breath, Keith lowered his voice and closed his eyes, deciding that he was just going to bite the bullet and go for it anyways.

 

“Does…” He began, his voice slightly trembling. “...Does that mean that we’ll be together after this camping trip?”

 

“Huh?” Lance turned his body around to face Keith, jumping out of the water and sitting by the rock next to him with a furrowing concerned expression. “What do you mean?”

 

“What I”m… Ugh!” Keith felt his temper flare and he balled his fist. “I’m trying to ask you that after this camping trip we’ll still be a couple, right?! You’re not just gonna pretend this was some dream or something and ignore it, right?!”

 

“K-Keith, calm down!” Lance’s voice was full of concern, “What the hell do you mean I’m going to pretend this is some dream or something?!”

 

Keith groaned, taking yet another deep breath. “I’m… Worried that you’ll forget about me.”

 

An uncomfortable silence broke among the two, and Keith didn’t like it one bit. He quickly opened his stuttering mouth to fill the silence, hoping that Lance wasn’t beginning to regret his decision or something.

 

“What I-I’m trying to say, Lance, is that I don’t want this to be a one-off thing or something. I want to… Pursue a relationship with you because I-I…” He groaned, feeling his face flare up by the second. “... Because I really fucking like you and you make me angry!”

 

Keith glared at Lance for a response, not caring how the hell he just admitted his feelings to Lance or how red his face was. Lance looked confused for about a minute, his eyebrows furrowing and unfurrowing as he seemed to grasp what Keith had just said and his lips moving ever so slightly before a wide grin broke out across his face and laughter began to spill from his lips. He grabbed his stomach, brilliant laughter continuing to pour out from his mouth while Keith sat with his arms crossed, completely embarrassed out of his mind.

 

“Oh my god, _Keith!”_ Tears began to fall from Lance’s eyes, the laughter continuing. “What the fuck kind of explanation was that?! I-I’m going to freaking lose it-!”

 

“I should have freaking kept my mouth shut.” Keith mumbled, cover his now beyond red face with his hands and groaning loudly.

 

“Keith, come on!” Lance’s laughter seemed to lighten up a bit and Keith felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. “I’m sorry, it’s just that it’s two conflicting statements when you say I make you angry yet you still _like_ me-”

 

“But you do!”

 

“I know, I know! Take a chill pill, Keith! Take a few deep breaths!”

 

Surprisingly, Keith listened to Lance; He took a few deeps breaths for a few minutes and felt himself begin to calm down, also finding that Lance’s hand around his body was also making him feel a bit better. When he began to feel a little more confident, Keith finally removed the hands from his face and looked over to Lance, letting out a huff of hot air and began to pout.

 

“How on earth you deal with my temper is magical, Lance.” Keith finally spoke, and Lance let out yet another laugh.

 

“I actually find it quite charming.” He raised an eyebrow amused. “And cute. I don’t know how, but it’s cute.”

 

“Stop it now or I’ll throw a rock in your face.” Keith warned, and Lance let out a sigh.

 

“There you go with the threats again, but I know in all you love me.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Lance let out another laugh while Keith sat staring at Lance. In all, he really couldn’t stay angry at Lance because he looked adorable when laughing; his smile had dimples and his grin was lopsided. Keith was really beginning to enjoy seeing Lance’s infamous lopsided grin and in all he really wanted to press a kiss to his cheeks, but he was far too embarrassed to do that right now.

 

Even so, his embarrassment didn’t stop Keith from leaning against Lance and resting his head against his shoulder. Lance began to run his thumb against Keith’s arm, bringing his body closer to his and taking a deep breath before beginning to speak again.

 

“You really have a way with words, Keith.”

 

Keith closed his eyes, “I know.”

 

“Yeah, but surprisingly I understood you quite well.” Lance said, clearing his throat. “You’re worried about this all being some kind of dream and I’m just going to forget about everything that happened or ignore you, right?”

 

Keith flinched; Lance was spot on.

 

“I’m really glad you brought that up, Keith. If you were scared about bringing that up with me you don't need to. I won’t bite your head off.” He chuckled, leaning his head on top of Keith’s lightly. “I’m not angry, I’m happy. I’m… I’m actually feeling a bit responsible myself for letting you have those kind of thoughts in all honesty. You shouldn’t have felt like that in the first place…”

 

“Lance, nothing was your fault so don’t go blaming yourself.” Keith opened his eyes, “It’s… Just my first every relationship, moreover you’re the first person I’ve had feelings for ever, and I’m still confused on how a relationship works. I’m…” He sighed, “I’m just worrying for no reason, that’s all.”

 

“You’ve never had a boyfriend or partner before?” Lance seemed quite shocked, and Keith replied by nodding his head.

 

“I’ve never been interested until I met you.”

 

Lance seemed genuinely surprised, “I would have never thought, honestly. Was there a reason for that or…?”

 

Keith wasted no time in his answer, giving it to him flatout.

 

“I push people away before I get too close to them.”

 

Lance lifted his head from Keith’s in order to look into his eyes properly, his face full of nothing but pure concern. Keith stared up at him blankly, uncaring of how Lance felt because it was nothing but the honest truth. He pushed people away, it was how he lived the majority of his life. He never dared getting close to people in case they ended up leaving or hurting him, and in all it just wasn’t worth it. The last thing Keith wanted was to get hurt because he decided to open himself up.

 

Which was why he was so conflicted about Lance. He wanted to open himself up, be vulnerable, but he still had some major walls up that needed to be broken down. And Keith didn’t know how long that would take. He trusted Lance, but somewhere in the back of his mind Keith still wasn’t so sure if he was doing the right thing.

 

Keith knew he was willing to take that risk, and once again he was beginning to second guess himself. And he absolutely hated it.

 

Many minutes of silence passed between the two, Lance seeming to be thinking how to approach the subject and possibly choosing his words wisely before he spoke. Eventually, Lance closed his eyes and wrapped his other arm around Keith’s waist in order to pull him as close to his body as he could, burying his face into Keith’s neck and holding him as tightly as possible without hurting him. Keith didn’t know how to exactly respond, so he kept his arms to his side and waited for Lance’s answer.

 

“Keith.” Lance spoke, his voice deathly serious.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I don’t care how many times you try to push me away, try to run away, or let your fears consume you. But one thing is certain.”

 

Keith swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “What?”

 

“I’m going to fight to stay by your side no matter how many walls you have up. No matter what fears, I will help you push past them as best I can, and even if it hurts me along the way I will push through so the two of us can be together for as long as possible.”

 

“W-why…?” Keith felt his voice leak out despite the lump still formed in his throat, “Why would you go so far for me?”

 

Lance tightened his grip around Keith, his voice too seeming to tremble.

 

“... Because you’re someone special to me.”

 

Finally, Keith felt himself lift his arms up and wrap them around Lance’s body, returning the tight embrace.

 

That’s all he needed to hear from Lance to erase his fears for the time being.

 

Because he believed Lance’s words to the core of his being, and he knew that even though it may takes months or perhaps years that his walls will eventually be broken down to the point where he will be able to accept others into his life.

 

And Keith decided he was going to start with Lance; Someone he cared about from the beginning even if he didn’t realize it for the longest time ever.

 

If there was someone that could possibly break his walls down that he’s had up for so many long years, it was going to be Lance.

 

And even if he had negative thoughts along the way, Keith knew that Lance was going to be there by his side to help him.

 

It was a start of something new, and Keith was hoping that in the end it would turn out for all the best.

 

Keith opened his mouth finally, his voice no longer hesitant or trembling from fear.

 

“... _Thank you.”_

 

He heard Lance chuckle, and Keith knew he was smiling despite hiding his face away in his neck.

 

“Anything for you, Mullet Head.”

 

Keith let out a small laugh of his own, beginning to grow appreciative of the nickname more and more as time came by. Even the most irritable of things could eventually become something he grew to love, but then again that could be just because it was Lance. He was sure if anyone else called him Mullet Head he would send their ass into space.

 

“Sorry for making this all depressive by the way.” Keith apologized, sounding tired after being so serious. “I know this your special spot and all and I’ve probably ruined the romantic aspect of it.”

 

Lance laughed, “It doesn't matter. Wasn’t like we were gonna make out or fuck in here anyways, I had no plans to do what Pidge thinks in their mind.”

 

“Were you now?” Keith was amused, his mood perking up a bit. “So in all we were just gonna sit here and talk about life or something?”

 

“I dunno, just had the impulse to come here with you.” Lance sighed, lifting his head up from Keith’s neck but to letting go of his body. “Besides, if we got all handsy and affectionate back there we would have Pidge teasing us and I really just wanted to be alone with you.”

 

“You better get used to Pidge teasing us, because they’re not going to stop no matter what.” Keith pursed his lips, and Lance let out a groan.

 

“I know. That’s why I’m using our last day today to get our alone time before I'm stuck in the same house with them for a long ass time.”

 

“... Good point.”

 

Lance groaned, “You’re telling me.”

 

The two men started out onto the lake holding onto each other, enjoying each others presence a well as the quality time together. They didn’t have to say anything nor do anything; just being by each other was all they needed. Hand in hand, side by side, Keith knew that it was the moments like this he was looking forward to in the near future. The times where he didn’t have to say words to express his feelings, where he could sit or lie down and just be there in the moment with Lance, and know that he is there by his side no matter thick and thin.

 

Glancing over to Lance, Keith smiled fondly and squeezed Lance’s hand.

 

“This is quite a bonding moment, don’t you agree?”

 

Lance nodded, turning his head towards Keith and staring at him with nothing put pure devotion.

 

“The best bonding moment we’ve had so far.”

 

* * *

 

 

That night, after Lance and Keith swam back to the group and returned to the campsite and showered, they made dinner and sat around the campfire for the last time in a while.

 

It was bittersweet; Keith had enjoyed every single moment of the camping trip even through the struggles. Besides, those struggles turned out to be all worth it in the end and now he was happy to say, and proudly say, that Lance was now officially his boyfriend. His friends were happy and welcomed it, and more importantly his brother, Shiro, was beyond happy for Keith. All he needed was the approval of his brother and he knew everything was going to be okay.

 

So that last and final night, where the group sat around the campfire with smiles and laughs and jokes, Keith spent every single moment with a smile on his face, hand in hand next to Lance and cherishing every single second of it. Was he going to miss these moments? Probably. But that didn’t that it wasn’t going to happen again. He knew next time they went camping he would be there with them. He would be there with the family he thought he never would have.

 

If he had declined going on the camping trip, where would Keith be now? He didn’t want to think about it and he didn’t, because he was happy with how everything turned out. No what if’s. Not anymore.

 

Without realizing it, Keith had drifted off to sleep that night next to Lance surrounded by the ones he cherished the most. The next time he woke up, Lance was in his tent tucked away in a sleeping bag. Next to him was Lance, sharing the same sleeping bag as him and spooning him from the behind snoring away without a care in the world. Keith turned his body to face him, feeling a smile creep up against his tired face before snuggling even closer to his boyfriend and falling back to sleep. He didn’t even fight against his struggling eyelids, and he was happy to know the last thing he saw before falling back asleep was Lance’s sleeping face.

 

Right by his side, Keith knew was Lance. Without even asking, Keith knew that Lance was there. He was sure that even if Lance wasn’t going to be by his side all the time, he would have him in his mind and heart.

 

That’s all Keith needed to know to make him feel complete for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I want to take these end notes to say something that I'm very serious about.
> 
> As you may know, this week Net Neutrality was voted to be gotten rid of and I cannot even express how disheartening this is to me. I know many writers like myself rely on the internet to share our stories, and many others use it as their source as income. Youtubers, Streamers, Bloggers, Writers, Artists-- Let's face it, EVERYONE. As of the vote, it is around 60 days for it to take effect and if something is not done then I will not be able to update this story anymore as many other writers will not either.
> 
> I want to continue writing, I don't want to stop. I have another Klance fic planned for after I finish this one and I also have a Sidlink fic in the works that I will probably start posting next month. For the writers out there and everyone else please contact you local congress representative and/or sign the petition. The internet was deemed a human right in 2003 and we have to continue letting our voices being heard. I'm sorry if you're tired of hearing about this, but it's important. It's important for you. For everyone.
> 
> Anyways, sorry for the uhhh passionate speech on Net Neutrality, but I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! Next chapter will be posted in about 1-2 weeks. Now that a lot of the more serious conversations are done with (for now.... hehe) it will go back to witty klance bickering with added fluff! 
> 
> Thank you so much!!! You're all cool peeps :3 Now I'm gonna celebrate by playing Cuphead...
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129 (If you ever want to see what game I'm currently playing, here is a good place c:)  
> SKYPE: raysnmuffins (I'm more active on discord, however)


	13. Tick Tock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally home from the camping trip, the college gang return to studying while desperately trying not to die. That is until Keith shocks Lance with a sudden revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I hope the holidays were fun and manageable and you've been relaxing as much as you can! I actually finished this whole chapter in one day somehow, so instead I'm posting it today. It's the final chapter of the year and there's only more to come!!!
> 
> Thank you all for supporting, kudosing, commenting and reading my fic so far! It really means a lot, and I'm going to try my best to keep putting chapters out. Even after this one, I've already started my next one and I think you'll all like it too^^
> 
> Lance's perspective this time, and it will be for a few chapters. Please enjoy!!

As soon as everyone woke up on the final morning, the immediately began packing.

 

They first made sure they they had packed away all their clothes and supplies before taking down the tents, of course the process of taking down the tents far more easier than setting them up. It only took a total of ten minutes to take them down and pack them away, and after that both Shiro and Allura looked around the campground to make sure everything was picked up while the others packed everything into the car as best as possible and got situated.

 

Lance sighed, looking around the campsite while reflecting on the crazy week he had. In all honesty? He thought it was all a dream at one point with everything that had happened, but now he was happy to accept all of it. It was… Strange, all over the place, yet it was all he could have asked for.

 

Looking behind him, Lance caught a glance at Keith at felt his heartbeat a little faster in his chest, his cheeks getting a little warm. He couldn’t help but let the faintest of smiles tug the corners of his lips upward at the sight of Keith-- His new boyfriend. It felt nice saying that finally, not holding back any feelings. Sure they might have messed up the order of doing things as couples, but Lance honestly wasn’t surprised. It was just like them and as much as he hated to admit it, it perfectly reflected their personalities for sure.

 

“Come on, Lance!” Lance suddenly heard Hunk yell, he was getting into the car. “It’s time to go!”

 

Lance looked around the campsite before nodding his head, feeling a little sad all of a sudden to go back home. What was going to happen between him and Keith? They weren’t going to be together as much since they didn’t live under the same roof, but Lance sure as hell was going to try his best to spend every moment he could with him. After hearing Keith express his fears of all of this being just a one-time experience and having it all end by the time they got back, Lance couldn’t stand the fact of making him worried. 

 

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Keith’s feelings.

 

Getting in the car, Lance sat next to Keith in the back of the car and saw the forest slowly begin to vanish slowly but surely. He kept his eyes glued to the slowly but surely disappearing scenery and soon enough he couldn’t see it at all. Lance sighed, closing his eyes and managing to tear his gaze from the window while trying to look forward to whatever was going to happen in the near future.

 

Just as he thought that, Lance felt something grab onto his hand and give it a squeeze. He looked over to see Keith’s hand intertwined with his and his gaze set firm onto him, not a trace of worry whatsoever in his eyes. Lance stared at him, unsure what to say but feeling like his red cheeks did all of the talking rather than his voice.

 

“It’s okay.” Keith finally spoke, a small smile on his lips. “We’re going to be okay, Lance.”

 

Lance felt his own lips tug into a smile of his own, and a small laugh left his lips.

 

“Sure we are, Mullet.” He replied, giving his hand a squeeze back. “We’re going to be just fine, aren’t we?”

 

They held hands for the entirety of the journey back home, never letting go even once.

 

* * *

 

“It sure feels great to be back.” Pidge sighed, stretching their arms into the air. “No more bug bites for me!”

 

“You need to bring more bug spray next time.” Hunk sighed, he too stretching his arms and legs after the long journey. “I just hate packing everything up only to then have to unpack it once we get back.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take all of it back to my place.” Coran said, waving his hands. “You all deserve a good night’s rest after that long journey home and I sure you need it!”

 

“Don’t harbor all the work yourself, Coran.” Shiro shook his head, beginning to open the trunk of Coran’s car. “At least let us grab some of the stuff off your hands so you don’t have too much unpacking to do.”

 

Coran smiled, “Well, I know when you put it that way you’re not going to let me say otherwise. So by all means take what you must!”

 

Shiro, Coran, and Hunk proceeded to sort through all the camping luggage while Pidge and Allura took some of the supplies into the house. Lance leaned against the house and watched them, feeling rather worn out. He had rested in the car, but with long arms and legs like his being crammed in a small space for a long period of time had left him feeling cramped up. Even after stretching his limbs and muscles as best as he could, they still felt dull and numb, a bit painful to move for the time being.

 

Eventually, Keith had joined him and leaned against the house next to him. He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at Shiro and Coran who were talking while rummaging through the various luggage. Pidge and Allura had finished and were talking about photography together, and Lance had no idea where Hunk was. He presumed he was in the house putting all the supplies away.

 

“That certainly was a long yet interesting week, don’t you think?” Keith asked Lance with an eyebrow raised, and Lance nodded his head.

 

“It was strange, but I can’t deny that I had fun.” Lance smiled, “But all that matter is that you had fun since it was your first time.”

 

Keith was taken aback for a moment, but he soon smirked. “I was a little sceptical at first, but I had fun in the end. I’ll be sure to join all the other trips.”

 

“You better, you’re with me now.” Lance chuckled.

 

“Don’t remind me.” Keith rolled his eyes playfully, “As long as we don’t continue doing stupid shit like that time in the forest.”

 

“If you’re referring to the blowjob,  _ never again.” _ Lance groaned, feeling his face heat up. “There is stuff that can be done in the forest, but that is most definitely one of the thing you should never do.”

 

“You’re telling me.” Keith pouted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Let’s try to keep it more… Casual next time, okay?”

 

“After finals, sure.” Lance sighed, “Then we have all of summer to do stupid things together.”

 

Keith frowned, “I almost forgot about finals.” He admitted, “I was too busy focusing on…”

 

Keith suddenly fell silent and Lance glanced back over to him, wondering what had made him fall silent. When his gaze landed on him, Keith seemed to be preoccupied with his inner thoughts as his eyebrows were furrowed heavily and his eyes were fixated onto the ground. Soon, after a brief moment of deep thought, he glanced back up at Lance and shrugged.

 

“... I guess I was focused on having a fun time with all of you.” He finally smiled, “And being with you too, Lance.”

 

Lance felt his cheeks heat up, “Jeez. You really have a way with words, don’t you?”

 

“You could say I’m a natural,  _ perhaps.” _ Keith joked, and Lance couldn’t help but let out a laugh at his remark.

 

“You’re a natural at being blindly adorable, Keith.” He grinned, “You wouldn’t expect it because you’re all cold and harsh at first, but once I got to know you I realized that you’re just adorable and touch-starved.”

 

“T-touch starved?” Keith stuttered, his turn for his cheeks to grow red.

 

“Meaning you crave  _ affection _ from me!” Lance announced, suddenly turning to face Keith and reaching to grab him. “But Lancelot is here to save you! Come here and let your boyfriend give you all the hugs and kisses in the world!”

 

“G-get away from me, idiot!” Keith began to back away, alert. “What the hell are you trying to do?!”

 

Lance grinned, reaching his hands towards Keith even more seeing him trying to resist. “Come give some some looooove, Keith!”

 

“N-no-!”

 

“You can’t resist me, baby!”

 

_ “Yes I can!” _

 

“I don’t care what you say!” Lance laughed, beginning to chase Keith around the front yard. “You’re gonna give me a hug and at least one kiss before you leave today!”

 

“Lance, s-stop!”

 

Not heeding or listening to any of Keith’s requests, Lance kept his arms stretched out in front of him and began to chase Keith around. It was stupid, childish, and he knew everyone was looking at them and probably rolling their eyes, but Lance couldn’t care less. If he had to act a bit childish just to get Keith’s attention then so be it. After all, it was a little  _ too _ addicting and fun to see Keith get all flustered like this.

 

Eventually, after a few more loud remarks being shouted at each other and a minute of silly chasing, Lance managed to fake a side-step and tricked Keith, suddenly grabbing his wrist and pulling him close to his body. Unfortunately, Lance may have pulled just a  _ little _ too hard and Keith came barreling towards his body, suddenly crashing against him and sending the both of them towards the ground. Lance felt his back hit the ground underneath him, luckily being grass so the fall wasn’t too hard, and felt Keith land on top of him. Reflectively, Lance wrapped his arms around Keith to make sure he didn’t get hurt.

 

“Jezz, you idiot!” Keith groaned, a little out of breath. “You really act like a complete and total idiot at times!”

 

Lance grinned, “But I’m  _ your _ idiot.”

 

“Yeah, you are.” Keith sighed, pressing his forehead into Lance’s chest. “You’re a complete idiot and act like a child and yet I still like you even after all that.”

 

“Aww, that's cute.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Lance couldn’t help but let out a laugh, lifting one of his hands up and beginning to run it through Keith’s hair.  _ How can this guy go from grumpy to lovable within seconds? _ Lance pondered, completely amused by the fact.  _ He tries to act all cool and tough but in the end he just needs a bit of tender loving and he’s absolutely adorable. I love it. _

 

“You better not be thinking about how I’m adorable or something otherwise I’m going to kick your ass.”

 

Lance lost his train of thought when Keith suddenly interrupting him, he new staring at Lance with a small pout. He was trying to look intimidating, but it just didn’t work due to the fact that his cheeks were stained a bright red. Not only that, Lance was far from used to his attitude and it was all too normal to him now. Instead of letting his own temper flare now, he instead shook his head and continued to run his hand through Keith’s hair.

 

“Oh yeah.” Lance finally spoke, his smirk still present on his lips. “I’m totally thinking about how adorable you are. You are one hundred percent right.”

 

Keith exhaled, “I hate you.”

 

“Yeah, right.” Lance chuckled, poking the top of Keith’s head. “Keep telling yourself that, Mullet.”

 

As soon as Lance’s finger poked Keith’s head, he lifted up to look into Lance’s eyes, his pout even more visible up close. It was utterly adorable the way he pouted, specifically because his small lip piercings somehow made him look more innocent instead of intimidating. In fact, even despite all the piercings on his face and tattoos on his body Keith was never once too intimidating for him, sure a load of work at first but never unmanageable. 

 

Unconsciously, Lance moved his finger from the top of Keith’s head to one of the studs on Keith’s lower lip, gently poking it.

 

“... Cutie.”

 

Keith’s began to stutter, his cheeks unbelievably redder than before. “W-what the heck are you doing now”

 

Lance poked the other piercing on his lower lip, adorable.

 

“A little tough yet  _ adorable _ cutie.”

 

“Lance…” Keith sighed, though his tone didn’t sound mad or any hint of anger. “You’re acting like a kid again.”

 

“I know.” He stopped poking Keith’s piercings, instead slowly bringing his face closer to Keith's. “I just can’t help it when it comes to you.”

 

“You’re corny as fuck.” Keith finally smiled, a small one. “How the hell did I end up liking you in the first place?”

 

Lance thought for a moment, pursing his lips sarcastically before shrugging his shoulders.

 

“That’s something you should be asking yourself. Not me, _Little_ _Red.”_

 

Before Keith could say anything else or react to his new nickname, Lance pressed his lips against his. He felt Keith tense up a little at first, probably from shock and realization, but he soon closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss.

 

Lance wasn’t going to attempt to deepen the kiss at all, he wanted it to keep it simple in case he scared Keith. Besides, they had only been dating for only a little more than a few days and he wanted to take everything one step at a time in case he messed up. Running his hand back through Keith’s hair, Lance carefully pressed his lips against Keith’s, occasionally pecking at his lips to get a reaction out of Keith.

 

Eventually, after a few more kisses, Lance pulled away to look into Keith’s eyes with a gentle smile across his lips. Keith seemed to be in a daze, his eyes focused onto Lance but his whole expression in complete awe. It was utterly adorable, so of course Lance couldn’t help but press on more quick kiss onto Keith’s soft lips. After that, he flicked his forehead carefully before KEith managed to shake himself out of his daze, looking away embarrassed.

 

“W-where did you come up with that nickname?” He finally spoke, his voice quiet and in a small whisper. Lance laughed, lacing his hands behind his head in a cool, relaxed manner before replying to Keith.

 

“You’re always wearing that red jacket of yours.” Lance said, and Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“It’s comfy.”

 

“Please don’t tell me you sleep in it as well.” Lance joked,and even Keith let out a chuckle of his own.

 

“Yeah. I also shower in it and do everything else in it.”

 

“Ooooh,  _ sexy.” _

 

“Get your head out of the gutter, Picasso.”

 

“Only if you kiss me  _ again.” _

 

Keith sighed, “You’re a needy one, aren’t you?”

 

The two remained on the ground for minutes before Keith saw that the sun was beginning to set and it was probably wise to start heading towards his dorm room. Lance was beginning to feel a little bit sad knowing that Keith was going to be a little bit further away from now on, but he had already promised himself that he was going to see him no matter what.

 

So as Keith said his goodbyes and began to wake his way towards the townhouse, Lance ran towards him and grabbed his arm one last time to give him a final goodbye kiss for the time being.

 

And when he pulled away, Lance but a smirk on his lips and cocked his eyebrow amused, whispering a promise to him.

 

“See you around, baby.”

 

Keith smiled, answering nearly right away.

 

“I’m just around the corner,  _ babe.” _

 

* * *

 

Lance and the other only had one day of relaxation before returning back to work and classes, immediately thrown into tests and quizzes and such without warning. Though, they were expecting it. It wasn’t like when they returned they were going to get a break from college. It was never as simple as a snap of a finger.

 

Finals were coming up, and Lance was beginning to worry despite doing fairly well in all of his classes so far.

 

He was in the library studying with Pidge and Hunk, the three had quite a long gap period between classes and decided to take every chance they could together to study as much as they could. They were all in different classes, of course, but even so it was better to get help from friends and study in a large group.

 

“Jeez,” Hunk sighed, slouching in the beanbag he was sitting in with his textbook. “If it weren’t for Pidge, I’m sure I would most certainly be failing at least one of my classes.”

 

“At least your amazing at math, Hunk.” Pidge attempted to cheer them up, placing their pen behind their ear and pressing their glasses back up their nose bridge. “I would say math is the hardest out of any of the classes you have.”

 

“No, chemistry.” He groaned, “But I guess that’s where you come in to help me, isn’t it?”

 

Pidge raised their eyebrows, “What do you need help with this time?”

 

As the two conversed, Lance stared at his laptop screen and sighed. Since he was an art major, he had to take a set series of art history classes which in all weren’t too bad, but of course there was memorization involved which he himself wasn’t very fond of. Math… That was a whole other process, but again he had both Hunk and Pidge to help him with that. While they helped him with math and science, he was there to help them with any extra english help and spanish, which both Hunk and Pidge were taking.

 

Looking through the multiple pages of text on his laptop, he felt his cell phone buzz inside his jacket pocket. At first, he was going to ignore it and continue studying, however he realized it had been two hours without a proper break and it was probably the best idea to take a small one before continuing. Placing his laptop to the side, Lance dug his phone out of his pocket and began to look through missed messages and whatnot.

 

One of those messages, surprisingly, was from Keith. The most recent one.

 

_ Keith: Are you in the library? _

 

Lance felt himself smile, feeling a little giddy. He and Keith had of course been texting each other everyday, but it’s been awhile since they’ve actually seen each other. Quickly, Lance sent him a response.

 

_ Lance: Yup! With Hunk and Pidge^^ _

 

As soon as he sent that message, Lance saw dots right away, meaning that Keith was already relying. It wasn’t even a couple seconds later until he sent his response back.

 

_ Keith: Be there in 3. _

 

“Keith’s coming over.”

 

“Is here?” Pidge glazed over to Lance, a smile appearing on their lips. “Awwww, Lancie is getting to see his boyfriend for the first time since the camping trip!”

 

Hunk smiled, “Boy, I bet you’re excited to see him aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah, I am.” Lance couldn’t lie about it, and he smiled. “I wonder what he’s been up to for the last week and a half?”

 

“Probably the same as us,” Pidge shook their head, removing the pencil for their ear. “Neck deep into studying while trying not to die.”

 

“What a mood.” Hunk sighed, resuming to studying from his textbook. “Except I’m not neck deep but entire body deep and drowning.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Lance rolled his eyes, grabbing his laptop once more and looking through the text once again.

 

Around five minutes alter, Keith showed up and Lance could easily spot him out of the corner of his eye. As soon as he did, however, he had to do a double take at how fucking  _ hot _  Keith looked and make sure his mouth wasn’t agape like some idiot. Keith was wearing a black tank top which showed off his muscular arms and dozens of black tattoos which trailed from up his arms down to his back, and Lance could even see another one peeking from his chest. He wore black-ripped jeans and red converses, and to top it all off he was wearing a red beanie which suited him all too well, his facial features easily recognizable. 

 

“Oh man.” Pidge chuckled, a wide smirk appearing on their lips. “Lance is starstruck.”

 

“That’s what being in love is like.” Hunk replied, his eyes still glued onto the textbook in his lap.

 

Lance continued to be starstruck as ever as Keith slowly approached the three of the,. However, and he gradually came closer, Lance soon broke out of his trance only to realize that Keith look… Rather concerned? It wasn’t rare that he furrowed his eyebrows and frowned and whatnot but this time Lance could easily tell that there was something on his mind.

 

“Keith?” Lance got up and set his laptop aside, though Keith quickly approaching him and grabbing Lance’s hand suddenly without warning.

 

“Lance, we gotta talk. Right now.”

 

Lance gasped, “H-hey! Slow down, Keith-!”

 

“Shut up and just come with me.” Keith ignored him, his talking rushed and be began to drag him somewhere away from Hunk and Pidge. “We need to talk.”

 

Before Lance could protest any more, Keith was dragging him towards somewhere else in the library without any further explanation. Lance sent an apologetic look towards Hunk and Pidge before wondering what the hell was up to Keith for being so straightforward and sharp for whatever reason. It couldn’t have been anything to do with him, right? Had Lance done something to upset him or something already?

 

Lance began to get nervous as Keith dragged him into an empty conference room that was used for studying, they were soundproof so the two could be as loud as they could in here without disrupting others in the main part. Throwing Lance in before him, presumably so Lance couldn’t escape, Keith closed the door and locked it, standing his ground in front of it.

 

“Keith, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Lance groaned, rubbing his wrist where Keith was holding it tightly. “You can’t just drag me from my friends and moody without explain what’s going on!”

 

Keith sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Lance. We need to talk. A  _ serious  _ talk.”

 

Lance looked directly into Keith’s eyes and saw even more concern in them, and Lance knew it  _ had _ to be something to do with him. He’d done it already; he already messed up somehow. Lance knew something was up right as their eyes met each other, and he he felt sick.

 

“S-sure.” Lance managed to speak, feeling nervous. He pushed his head back and took a deep breath before looking back up to meet Keith’s gaze. “But before you go speaking or anything, I’m sorry for whatever I did and I promise not to do it again so please,  _ please _ forgive me and find it in your heart to-”

 

“I have a tick on my dick, Lance. A fucking tick.”

 

Lance felt his words fall short, his heart drop to his chest, and his mind draw blank. 

 

Absolute silence fell in the room.

 

Lance stared at Keith blankly, unsure what to say or even do. Keith just stood with his arms crossed, refusing to meet Lance’s dumbfounded glare and his face burning a bright red. It wasn’t until a complete minute of silence that Lance had fully processed what Keith had just said, and without realizing it the words began to leave his mouth.

 

“You  _ WHAT?! _ ” Lance shrieked, pointing ever so casually at Keith’s crotch. “THERE’S A FUCKING TINY ASS BUG BITING ONTO YOUR DICK AT THIS MOMENT AND SUCKING BLOOD?”

 

Keith began to yell too, his face also a red mess. “YES, LANCE. THERE  _ WAS _ FREAKING TICK ON MY DICK BUT IT’S GONE NOW!”

 

“Unbelievable.” Lance shook his head and took a step back from Keith, throwing his arms up dramatically. “ _ Unbelievable! _ We go on a goddamn camping trip with the gang for a few days, just a few days, and you manage to get a tick on your dick?! How the fuck did that happen, Keith?! Things like that don’t just happen!”

 

“Well,  _ maybe _ , just maybe if  _ someone _ didn’t jacking my god damn dick off in the middle of the god damn forest we wouldn’t have this damn problem in the first place!” Keith retaliated, rolling his eyes while his face only continued to grow redder and redder. “And by someone, I mean  _ Lance McClain!” _

 

“It’s not my fault!” Lance groaned, now his own face beginning to grow red and he ran a hand over his face. “We were both just… Horny!”

 

“Shut up. That’s not the problem right now.”

 

“No,  _ you  _ shut up!” Lance retorted, jabbing his finger down at Keith’s crotch. “You’re right, that isn’t the problem right now. The problem is that was a blood-sucking monster sucking your dick and  _ I’m _ the only one who should be sucking your dick, Keith-!”

 

“ _ Oh my god, LANCE! _ ” Keith groaned loudly and covered his now extremely red face with both of his hands. “You’re jealous over a goddamn tick?! What kind of boyfriend are you?!”

 

Groaning once again, Lance let out an irritated sigh and he too crossed his arms across his chest, imitating Keith. He pouted  and pursed his lips in thought as the silence between the two obviously very angry men continued on, unknown whether to feel sorry for his boyfriend or the fact that he actually had a tick on his dick. A tick. On his dick.

 

The more Lance thought about it, a shit-eating grin began to spread across his face and soon enough, loud laughter escaped his lips and he doubled over with tears of joy sliding down his face. Keith stared at him with an expression filled with confusion and anger, though mostly anger judging by the way his teeth grinded against each other.

 

“You. Fucking.  _ Asshole _ .” Keith spat through his clenched teeth, turning away from Lance. “First you’re angry and jealous over the fact that there’s a small bug on my dick but now you’re laughing at my misery. Way to go, Lance. Best boyfriend of the year award goes to you. Just fucking take my ass now if you wish. Love ya loads.”

 

Lance only laughed the more, wiping away his happy tears with his finger as he attempted to calm himself down. “I-I’m sorry, Keith - Ahahahah! It’s just t-that the more I think about it, the more funny it is! A tick, Keith!  _ A fucking tick! _ ”

 

Though he had a very pissed off look plastered across his face, soon enough, Keith lost his composure and cracked a small smile. Keith eventually made his way back over to Lance and smiled gently, leaning against the wall while crossing his arms across his chest, raising one of his eyebrows up in amusement.

 

“Only you could get jealous of a harmless bug, Lance.”

 

“They’re not exactly harmless, you got it off safely right?” Lance asked, a bit concerned still despite laughter still spilling from his lips. 

 

Keith nodded, “Yeah. It’s long gone, no worries. I just wanted to let you know though despite it being beyond embarrassing for me to say.”

 

“I thought you were angry at me for a moment and I was honestly ready to beg for mercy.” Lance sighed, glancing over to Keith with a wide smirk. “But no, instead I was worrying over you for something small.”

 

“You’re right, but you’re still an asshole you little shithead for laughing at my misery.” Keith chuckled, the blush beginning to fade away slightly though still remaining on the apples of his cheeks. “Though surprisingly, I’m more happy that you reacted this way instead of being overdramatic and trying to drag me to a hospital or something. I guess …”

 

Keith suddenly turned red once again, and he stared down onto the floor as he bit down on his lower lip. Lance stared at him confused, unsure why Keith suddenly got so embarrassed. Taking a deep breath, Keith suddenly shook his head and stared down onto his feet.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Lance raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to him. “It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

 

“Trust me.” Keith spoke quickly, “It is.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Lance crept closer and closer to Keith until he was only a centimeter away from his neck, deciding to blow a huff of warm air onto the nap of his neck. Keith let out a yelp, his hand slapping over where Lance had blown and glaring daggers towards him.

 

“What the hell, man?!” Keith retorted, and Lance shrugged while stuffing his hands into his pockets.

 

“Just felt like doin’ that. That’s all.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, “You feel like doing a lot of things. Like laughing at my misery.”

 

“I was concerned!”

 

“Sure.” Keith smirked, “And then proceeded to continue laughing.”

 

“Come on, Mullet!” Lance pouted, leaning closer to Keith and putting his best puppy eyes onto Keith. “What can I do to make you feel better?!”

 

Keith seemed to think for a moment, pursing his lips before he suddenly turned his body completely towards Lance with what looked like a seductive smile across his lips. He lifted his hand and began to trail his index finger along Lance’s jawbone, Lance feeling shivers run down his spine from the sudden intimate gesture and feeling his body freeze up. Keith eventually dropped his arms by his side only to continue looking into Lance’s, the alluring expression still present on his face.

 

“... I might be able to forgive you for a  _ kiss.” _

 

Lance exhaled and took a moment to catch his breath, feeling his composure crumble by the second.  _ How can this man go from adorable, grumpy, and irresistable within a short span?! I can’t keep up with him at this point! _

 

Despite it being exasperating though, Lance wasn’t going to lie and admit that it was really  _ attractive _ and he absolutely loved it.

 

Sending Keith a short glance. Lance grabbed onto his tank top and pulled him closer to his body, Keith happily wrapping his arms around his waist. He looked behind Keith to see if there were anyone looking through the windows but found that the coast was clear, so his gaze immediately returned to Keith’s eyes.

 

“Your wish is my command,” Lance purred “My little  _ kitten.” _

 

Keith didn’t seem rather shocked with yet a new nickname, and instead leaned closer to Lance and meeting his lips with a kiss. Lance closed his eyes and allowed Keith to lead the kiss, more than happy to let him have the reins for once.

 

At first, the kiss was rather simple, Keith keeping his arms wrapped around Lance’s waist and just a few pecks here and there. However, Lance suddenly felt Keith slowly but surely deepening it while his hands began to trail up and down at a tantalizing slow pace. His body jolted from the sudden moves, and he opened his mouth in instinct and let out a soft sigh.

 

However, what he was not expecting most of all was for Keith’s tongue to enter his mouth next, deepening the kiss to something Lance never would have though Keith had the courage to do.

 

As he felt Keith’s tongue enter his mouth, Lance was in absolute shock for a few seconds. At first, his mind was screaming “what the HELL”, but soon he decided to just go with the flow and eagerly kissed Keith back. Lance intertwined his tongue with Keith’s and the two fought for dominance, and without realizing it Lance noticed that a few stifled moans occasionally escaped from Keith’s lips. Eventually, it was Lance who won the battle for dominance, and he grabbed onto Keith’s hair and scratched it has be deepened the kiss and ran his tongue along Keith’s.

 

As much as Lance wished to continue the fun, he soon pulled away so that Keith could catch his breath. A trail a saliva appeared when the two parted their mouths and even Lance himself who had kissed many people before was a bit out of breath, though Keith was taking deep breaths in. His face was bright red, and he continued to stare at Lance with a lustful gaze.

 

“Y-you…” Lance finally caught his breath, removing his hand from Keith’s hair and fixing his beanie. “... You really know how to get to me, don’t you?”

 

Keith took a few more deep breaths before managing to speak up, his voice slightly strained and tired. 

 

“... Did I do good?”

 

Lance couldn’t help but chuckle, “Yeah. Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that babe?”

 

“I… I might have done some research.” Keith admitted, a small smile on his lips as he let out a soft sigh. “I thought I would take you by surprise since you’re always doing it to me.”

 

“Well, you certainly did take me by surprise.” LAnce smiled, pulling away from Keith slightly in order to straighten out his close. “But don’t you think we should get back to the others before they think we’re up to no good?”

 

Keith’s face began to get red again, “No doubt about it Pidge will already think we’re up to no good.”

 

“Then you better get yourself sorted out before we head back over to them otherwise we’re going to be teased for weeks.” Lance chuckled, “And you know what Pidge’s teasing is like.”

 

_ “Never ending.”  _ Keith said, visibly shuddering. Lance couldn’t agree more.

 

Sorting themselves out, both Keith and Lance managed to make themselves look presentable before exiting the study room and heading back towards Pidge and Hunk’s designated study area. The two walked side-by-side part of the way until Lance managed to sneak his hand into Keith’s, intertwining them together and giving it a firm squeeze.

 

“What exactly did you study to learn to kiss like that?” Lance felt an amused smirk arise onto his lips,  _ “Porn?” _

 

“No-!” Keith sighed, exasperated. “I-I just looked up on some stuff, that’s all.”

 

Lance laughed, “Don’t worry, I believe you.”

 

It didn’t take them that long to reach where Pidge and Hunk were studying, though Lance didn’t realize that Keith had dragged him that far away from them. Upon returning to his friends, Pidge didn’t even have to look up for Lance to realize they had a wide shit-eating grin spread across their face.

 

“Did you guys use a condom?” Pidge remarked, and Lance let out a groan.

 

“We didn’t do anything you little  _ creative _ imagination is thinking about.” He rolled his eyes, sitting down in the beanbag. “We just had a chat and caught up on stuff, that’s all.”

 

“I’ll believe that,  _ for now.” _ Pidge chuckled, “Just be safe in the future, boys.”

 

Keith sat down next to Lance in the unoccupied bean bak, setting his bag down next to him and grabbing his own textbooks. It seemed that he was going to join the study group as well and Lance couldn’t help but feel extremely happy about that,. Studying with his boyfriend? Talk about romance mixed with learning. Hell yeah.

 

“What are you working on, Keith?” Hunk asked, looking at the two with a kind smile across his face. Keith then proceeded to flash his textbook at the group with a sugh, seeming to be unhappy about it.

 

“Spanish.” He admitted, “Though I’m really bad at the pronunciation and kinda suck at it.”

 

“Oh!” Lance is fluent in spanish!” Hunk gestured to Lance, “If you need any help, just ask him!”

 

“Wow, I should have known.” Keith looked over to Lance, a small smile on his lips. “I mean, it was kind obvious wasn’t it?”

 

Lance smiled, “S í,  _ Gatito.” _

 

Hunk nearly choked on his breath and Pidge immediately whipped their head around to stare at Lance with a wide grin, Keith completely ignoring that fact that LAnce had just called him Kitten in spanish. Lance put a shit eating grin on his face, rather proud that he was able to get a reaction more on his friends rather than Keith.

 

“Well, how about you put that spanish to work and help me with a bit of studying?” Keith chuckled, opening his textbook. “In return, I’ll help you with math or something, how about that?”

 

Lance happily accepted that deal even though both Hunk and Pidge were helping him in that field, but he would do anything to spend more time with Keith. Besides, the more tutoring the merrier! He would become an expert in no time. That’s exactly what he needed.

 

So for the rest of the time in the library, Lance held onto Keith’s hand while he helped Keith with his studying and trying to once again ignore how damn attractive and in love he was with his boyfriend.

 

Pidge and Hunk watched them, of course, with smiles on their faces as they too studied together as a group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you know where the tick dick reference comes from..... Thank you and you're awesome. But if you're not, just youtube search "Steven Yeun's Crotch Tick Attack". You're welcome.
> 
> Also special shout out to my irl friend Sara (happyheartsgang @tumblr) for the idea of Lance calling Keith kitten I absolutely love it.
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! Also, I'm in the process of moving officially so I don't know when the next chapter will be posted unfortunately. The best way to find out about updates is my tumblr, and if you go to the "slice of life fic" tag or "rays speaks" tag you will easily find updates^^
> 
> You're all cool kids! c;
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew#9129


	14. Cheesy, Romantic Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the week of finals draws, Lance and Keith decide to study together in an attempt to hang around each other and gain knowledge.
> 
> That's until someone decides to get their claws out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was listening to whats new pussycat on loop while writing this chapter so now i know how the people feel at the salt and pepper dinner. end me please.
> 
> anyways, so so sooo sorry this chapter is so late! moving was brutal and it basically just put me out for a whole week after the whole process was done and on top of that i'm battling depression. i get depressed december/january very easily for personal reasons and it hinders my motivation to do anything. now that it's february... well, it should be gone but it isn't do i guess in in for another month of depression :c
> 
> BUT! i managed to get this chapter basically all typed up today so yay! i've returned to college so there goes my sense of accomplishment lmfao. but i hope you enjoy this chapter and i tried to make it as long as possible!

“Lance you can’t be _serious_ right now.”

 

“Nuh-uh, _I am.”_

 

As Lance ignored Pidge, he proceeded to grab yet another drink from the fridge. Pidge groaned in protest, shaking their head.

 

“You’re going to end up having a panic attack or some shit from drinking all those drinks.”

 

“How do you know that?” Lance rolled his eyes, grabbing another one. “Are you a doctor or something?”

 

“Lance, you had a panic attack once when you drank three giant bottles of Mountain Dew.”

 

Lance paused, hesitating for a moment before groaning. “I was a fool back then, Pidge. Now that I’m an adult, I can make mature decisions and suffer the consequences if they come.”

 

“The problem is that you’re an adult who acts like a child, Lance.” Hunk finally spoke, he was sitting by the kitchen table nearby reading a book. “I think there’s a word for that but I can’t think of it right now…”

 

“Kidult.” Pidge answered Hunk nearly right away, smirking. “An adult with childish tastes.”

 

“Sometimes it's great to be a kid still.” Lance stuck his tongue out at the two, finally closing the refrigerator when his hands were filled to capacity with a variety of different sodas. “Then you forget about your responsibilities in life and have a fun time. It’s great!”

 

_“Lance.”_ Pidge warned him, and Lance shook his head while beginning to walk away from the scene.

 

“Nope, I’m not listening to you! Keep your ‘wise’ information to yourself!”

 

He thought he was going to make his escape without anyone else reprimanding his ass; However, Lance should have known better. Because just as Lance was about to walk out of the kitchen, someone stood by the archway of the kitchen entrance blocking his path towards the stairs. Looking up, Lance met Shiro’s gaze, and he knew the smile on his face was nothing but pure torment.

 

“When you ignore all your responsibilities, Lance, they all begin to pile up don’t they?”

 

Lance shuddered visibly, and he could hear a faint _“Oh boy”_ come from behind him from who he presumed was Pidge, though at this point it was probably Hunk too. Sighing, Lance shrugged while holding all the sodas in his arms regardless of Shiro towering over him.

 

“Y-yeah, sure.” Lance answered as best as he could, though it seemed like Shiro had more to say.

 

“And may I ask why you’re holding a dozen sodas in your arms? Shiro finally questioned, and Lance should have known all along that’s what Shiro was ultimately after. _Damn it._ He thought. _If it weren’t for him I would have gotten away with having all of these delicacies in my room!_

 

However, Lance was semi-determined to win this battle still. “They’re my energy sustenance, Shiro! Gotta get my studying done, after all!”

 

Shaking his head, Shiro tisked and was no longer smiling anymore. Instead, he frowned slightly while holding his arms out in front of Lance.

 

“Only one, Lance. We all know what happens when you drink too much soda, and I don’t want to be responsible for you running around the house having a panic attack from too much sugar.”

 

Lance frowned, “But-!”

 

“No _buts,_ Lance. It isn’t healthy, and your best option is to drink water.”

 

Hearing Pidge laughing behind him, Lance no longer protested and gave up by shoving the many sodas he was carrying in his arms into Shiro’s large ones. He easily held them in his arms, though before he could take the whole of them Lance grabbed another one back for himself. He did say he could have one, after all, so of course Lance was going to hold his words accountable.

 

Shiro sighed, shaking his head though smiling. “You really are like a kid at times.”

 

“That’s what we were just saying!” Pidge’s laughter only escalated when they heard Shiro’s remark, “Wittle, wittle Lancelot!”

 

“Come on, you guys!” Lance groaned, turning his foot and making a break towards the stairs now that he had an opening, “Can you please let me know what time of week is ‘make fun of Lance’ day in advance!?”

 

“Every day if I have the chance!” Was the last thing Lance heard before shutting his bedroom door, sighing as he was finally free of teasing Pidge’s clutches. He was sure Shiro was now telling them to stay in the kitchen for the rest of the day so that he was unable to grab any more sugar substances from the kitchen, so his day was now foiled. Tragic.

 

Sitting down at his desk, Lance flipped open is laptop and waited for it to power back up. His textbook was still left open on the last place he was reading; art history was proving to be a little more hard than he previously thought, and Lance was a sucker at remembering dates to historic shit. The rest of it? He wasn’t too bad on and could get away with it, but if his final had anything to do with dates or any essay answers he was more than screwed. The worst part about it was that none of his friends could help him with this subject, and he was very much alone with studying for this final.

 

Groaning, Lance grabbed his glasses from his desk and shoved them up his nose bridge. Even he had to wear glasses from time to time if he was staring at his laptop screen for too long, he was supposed to wear them every time he was on a computer or laptop but he couldn’t be bothered most of the time. So unless he was studying for something major or his eyes were tired, they remained in the little black box he kept them clean.

 

It was currently 3p.m, so that meant Lance probably had around three more good hours of studying before he could retire for the day. He wasn’t going to study during the night, that was for sure, and use every damn moment he could while not studying to either eat or sleep; no exceptions.

 

About an hour into his current study session, Lance felt his phone vibrate against the table. He thought he had turned off any sound or noise the phone made despite wearing his headphones, though it seemed like he had forgotten. Sighing, Lance raised his phone up from the table and was abou to turn it off…

 

Until he saw who it was from, in which he then quickly fumbled to unlock his phone in order to read the message properly.

 

_Keith: u free tomorrow?_

 

Lance raised his eyebrow, his attention no longer on his laptop nor textbook sprawled out on his desk. Instead, Lance removed one side of his headphones covering his ears and immediately began to text Keith back, not wanting to keep him waiting.

 

_Lance: Yeah! How about you? Planning something or what?_

 

Lance didn’t bother going back to work and instead waited for Keith to reply. Besides, a quick break wouldn’t hurt him. Luckily, it only took him a minute before the chat bubble which signified that Keith was typing appeared.

 

_Keith: my afternoon is open was wondering if u wanted to come over and study_

_Lance: Sure! What are you doing in the morning? Sleeping in?_

_Keith: no got a class_

_Keith: wish i could tho lol_

 

Lance couldn't help but let out a feint laugh at Keith’s texts; absolutely no capitalization nor punctuation and just plain straight to the point. It was just like him, and Lance absolutely loved it.

 

_Lance: Alrighty then! What time should I be over then?_

_Keith: 2ish should be kk_

_Lance: Should I bring anything? ;3_

_Keith: ...ur a fucking pervert masturbate before u come if ur that desperate_

_Lance: Who said that I was referring to condoms?!_

_Keith: …_

_Keith: fuck u_

 

Now unable to keep his laughter down, Lance laughed out loud and held onto his stomach. Surely he knew Keith was straight to the point, but even Lance wasn’t expecting him to be _that_ straightforward. Just when he though Keith couldn’t get my pungent or sarcastic, he managed to do it. And Lance absolutely loved it.

 

_Lance: Just kidding, I’ll bring some food and coffee how about that?_

_Keith: make it black i like it bitter_

_Lance: Like your temperament? :D_

_Keith: ill shove a pen up ur ass if ur not careful lancelot_

_Lance: Awww, love you too babe :3 <3 _

 

Shaking his head, Lance finally set down his phone and began to get back to work. Previous times he texted Keith saying “love you” or anything remotely along the lines would heed in no reply, and Lance just guessed Keith was probably too embarrassed to say it back or he wasn’t ready to say it yet. Lance was okay with that, he knew Keith was new with relationships and he was taking precautionary measures (Well, at least he hope he was since a few times seemed a bit… _Heated_ ) and through time he would probably soon grow the courage to say it back. No matter how long it took him, Lance would wait for him because he was just the kind of guy to never take no as an answer. He’ll work Keith in slow and steady… Yeah… No more rash decisions… _He hoped._

 

Just as Lance picked up his pencil and nearly got back to work, his phone buzzed and he quickly tapped on his home button to pop up the message. As his eyes skimmed the message, he quickly dropped his pencil and did a double take at the message; his heart suddenly begging to pound against his chest. His cheeks began to darken with a hue of red, and Lance quickly took a moment to lean back in his chain and run a hand through his hair.

 

Smiling, Lance felt satisfied with the answer Keith gave him _despite_ it not being an “I love you”, though it was close enough and he could tell he was trying his best to say it.

 

_Keith: ……sure see you tomorrow_

 

* * *

 

After an early nights sleep, Lance woke up more refreshed than ever and immediately began to prepare for his day ahead. He already knew he was probably going to spend the night at Keith’s (he was secretly hoping, he had no sexual intentions and just wanted to spend every moment he could with him) and so he packed a pair of pajamas and clothes just in case. And, of course, his laptop and all his study material.

 

Lance sighed as he packed all his necessities into his bag, only just realizing that finals were just around the corner. Sure, it meant that the summer was just around the corner as well, but nothing was worse than entering the summer with a horrible grade in a class you worked your ass off to get a good grade.

 

_Study mode is on._ Lance externally thought, feeling more determined than mopey about the situation. _Just think about the amazing summer you’ll have this year instead. Yeah. Instead of the crippling anxiety. Perfect._

 

After showering and making sure he was clean, time passed faster than ever and Lance began to make his way towards the university. He told Shiro he probably wouldn’t be coming back for the night and _assured_ he had no intention to sleep with Keith multiple times before he was able to leave the front door with a relieved sigh escaping his lips. Lance sure wasn’t going to do anything to Keith with Shiro constantly leering down his back, though he was probably the best big brother anyone could ask for.

 

Before he entered the university campus, Lance entered one of the local coffee shops and ordered the drinks and food; Keith’s and his desired coffees in the largest size possible with sandwiches and pound cake slices. He had his hands full of goodies, but it was only about a five to ten minute walk to Keith’s dorm room.

 

The last time Lance visited-- Well, more like intruded Keith’s dorm room was when the two argued over the fact that Keith had intruded into Lance’s room and saw the painting of him. Lance thought he screwed up whatever they had back then, but surprisingly Keith came looking for him and they managed to talk things through. He couldn’t believe the two of them had made it this far together, and to think that they were now a couple was still a bit unbelievable. Lance had only come to terms over it recently, and he was sure Keith was still semi-thinking it was all a dream in a sense.

 

They had to still work out a few kinks and quirks here and there, Lance was aware, but more than ever he knew that the two were finally stable enough to convey their feelings. Even if it did take quite a while.

 

Finally, Lance approached Keith’s dorm building and entered it, walking down the hall on the first level. He surprisingly still remembered where his dorm was despite it being months since he visited, but he soon approached the door and gave it a quick kick since his hands were currently occupied with delicacies.

 

Keith opened it only a few seconds later, a towel wrapped around his shoulders as it seemed his hair was still slightly damp. He was wearing a pair of plain sweatpants that were sitting perfectly on his waist so that his hip bones were just peaked and a plain black shirt that was slightly rolled up past his belly button. Lance had only just realized this now, but not only Keith’s tattoos traveled all down his body but it seemed that his belly button was also pierced.

 

Lance couldn’t help it, so he smirked and looked directly into Keith’s eyes all while handing him his coffee.

 

“Looking as attractive as ever, I see.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, though there was a small smirk on his lips. “Nice to see you too, I guess.”

 

“I guess?!” Lance groaned, pouting playfully while entering Keith’s dorm. “You could at least show the _slightest_ bit of joy for once since your boyfriend came all the way to you dorm room to study and hang out with you!”

 

“You literally had to walk ten minutes just to get here, Lance.” Keith raised an eyebrow, but Lance wanted to see how much teasing he could put in before he realized.

 

_“And_ I brought you food because I know you didn’t eat breakfast this morning!”

 

Keith fell silent quicker than Lance expected, and he could feel a smug smile tug the corners of his lips upward. Slowly, Lance handed Keith his cup of coffee and his boyfriend slowly accepted it, timidly grabbed it from his hand and taking a slow sip.

 

“I tease _and_ care, baby.” Lance chuckled, setting the bag of food and his backpack down onto Keith’s bed. “You really should eat breakfast more often, it’s kinda the kickstarter for the day. What would Shiro say if he found out?”

 

Keith sighed, “He would just grab a granola bar or some shit and begin shoving it down my throat to be honest…”

 

“Which is why it’s better to have me nagging you, isn’t it?” Lance raised an eyebrow, reaching into the bag and grabbing Keith’s designated sandwich and holding it out to him. Keith seemed to think about it for a moment before grabbing it off Lance as well, the faintest of smiles spreading across his lips.

 

“I suppose so.” Keith sighed, sitting down at his desk chair with a small thud. “But after eating, we are going into study mode, alright?”

 

“Sure thing, Mullet.” Lance couldn’t agree more, finals were just days away and he had to cram in as much studying as he could.

 

Sitting down on the bed, Lance grabbed his sandwich and began to unwrap it Just as he was, he saw a ball of white fluff emerge from the bedsheets and shoot a quick look towards Keith before its yellow eyes landed on Lance. He had almost completely forgotten that Keith had a cat in his dorm room, and Lance still questioned how he managed to keep quiet about it. Lance was locked in an intense gaze battle with the small creature as he ate his sandwich as he attempted to remember the name of the cat. What… What was it again?

 

Suddenly, Lance remembered, and he smiled as he quickled waved at the cat.

 

“Hey, Lotor! What’s up, buddy?”

 

All Lance got as a reply was a sharp his and rather rude meow from Lotor, and he quickly jumped off the bed to sit on top of the dirty laundry pile. Lance groaned, continuing to look at Lotor with a disappointed expression.

 

“Does your cat like… Really hate me for some reason?”

 

Keith shrugged, “Dunno, you’re the only one that’s ever been in my dorm room really. But he is extremely grumpy and antisocial.”

 

“Glad that makes me the happy one in this room then.” Lance joked, and Keith shot him a look full of daggers. He immediately wiped the smile off his lips before Keith could have a go at him and shoved the rest of what was left of hs sandwich into his mouth, Keith seeming to do the same exact thing. Silence fell between the two as they finished up their food, though it wasn’t uncomfortable and as soon as they swallowed their food Keith proceeded to open his laptop and power it on.

 

“Is there anything you’re struggling with?” Keith questioned, “I know you were struggling a bit with math last time, but I don’t know if Hunk or Pidge helped you out with that or something since then.”

 

“I think I’ll go over it one more time if you could help me, but I’m mostly struggling with art history.” Lance sighed, he too proceeding to grab his bag, grab his laptop and begin to power it on all while grabbing his notes and textbooks. “Unless you’re some kind of art genius I don’t think you can help me.”

 

Keith pursed his lips, “Maybe? Can’t be that hard, right?”

 

“I don’t know, I mean-” Lance gestured to the art history textbook by his side, “-have a look for yourself if you want to.”

 

In all honesty, that was Lance’s ultimate secret power move of all; getting Keith to sit next to him while studying. It _had_ work, it wasn’t too noticeable but Keith had to have the faintest of ideas of what Lance had been ultimately planning all along. Of course Lance came here to study for his finals, he needed to, but in all he also came over to spend some quality time with Keith. Sure, they had all of summer to make up for lost time, but Lance couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from him for any long period of time. Text messaging could only do so much, and Lance was a bit of a clingy, affectionate person as much as he hated to admit it. Was Keith like that? He wasn’t sure himself despite knowing him for such a long period of time now, Keith’s mood always changed from time to time so Lance assumed it just depends on how he was feeling.

 

Keith didn’t seem to see through Lance’s scheme, so he sighed all while picking up his laptop, notes, and textbooks and moved himself to the bed next to Lance. It was a bit of a tight fit, Keith only had a twin size bed but they managed to make it work. With their backs against the wall and their legs dangling off the edge, the two spread their work materials out all while having their laptop on their legs and began to get to work.

 

Lance helped Keith with whatever work he was struggling with, primarily spanish and a little bit of literature, and Keith attempted to help Lance with his art history. Surprisingly, Keith did manage to help Lance with some of his questions; turns out Keith enjoyed doing history in high school and somehow managed to connect it to art history. Either way, Lance was just happy to finally get the questions and concerns out of his head and now he was sure he was going to pass his art history final.

 

Sighing, Lance grained after a few hours of studying and laid his head against Keith’s shoulder. “Maaaaan!” He began to pout, “Even though I’m studying with you, it still is annoying studying for all these classes…”

 

“That’s college for you.” Keith sighed as well, closing his laptop and setting it aside. “Working until you’re worn out just to get a piece of paper with a ‘congratulations’.”

 

“No need to make it more depressing than it is.” Lance grumbled, managing to scooch closer to Keith just a _little_ bit more. “I’m already dreading the next week as it is, so at the least try to encourage me before I meet my fate.”

 

“You’ll be fine, Lance.” Keith chuckled, “When we went over the material earlier you were extremely relaxed and confident, so I think you’re going to pass all your classes with a breeze.”

 

“Aren’t you being super encouraging an optimistic.” Lance raised an eyebrow and pulled his head away from Keith’s shoulder in order to look into his eyes properly, smiling. “Hello? Earth to Keith? You can’t be my boyfriend, you’re far too encouraging.”

 

“I’m far too encouraging? Alright then,” Keith rolled his eyes, though a large shit eating grin began to spread across his face. “I think you’re going to flake and die the moment you walk into your first final. You will fail.”

 

“That’s the spirit.” Lance chuckled, he too beginning to smile even more. “There the Emo McMean pants I fell for in the first place.”

 

Keith let out a laugh, “Emo McMean pants? Really?” He shook his head, “Out of any name you could have created or chosen you chose _that_ one?”

 

“Yup! And I’m damn proud of it!” Lance threw his arms up in the air victoriously, his gaze wandering somewhere else and his vision taking a quick glance outside the window. “Ah-” Lance suddenly realized something, beginning to look for his phone. “What time is it? It’s already nearly dark outside, what the hell!”

 

“Really? Is it late already?” Keith took a glimpse outside and saw the Lance was correct, the sun had nearly completely descented and it was indeed dark outside. “It must be past six then… Theres no way in hell you’re going to be going home at this rate despite living around the corner, but I’m sure you were planning on staying the night all along weren’t you?”

 

Lance met Keith’s gaze, surprised that he too were thinking alike. Keith had a smile plastered across his face that Lance knew he wanted Lance to the stay the night, it wasn’t a smile saying _“I want you”_ or anything along the lines of that but instead one that read _“Can I spend a little longer with you?”._ It was one of those rare smiles Lance was sure that no one else has really seen, something that _he_ himself has been lucky enough to see (or at least he hoped) and it made him incredibly happy beyond belief. Just when he thought he couldn’t think of yet another reason to fall from Keith, another came up, and there he went again adding yet another thing to his mental list of reason on why Keith really wasn’t the biggest assface on the planet.

 

Nodding his head, Lance scooped up his backpack from the floor and pulled out his pajamas. “You guessed it. We’re having yet another slumber party.”

 

“I suppose that means we’re done for the day then?” Keith questioned, and Lance nodded in response. “I mean, if you’re okay with that of course. We’ve studied for quite a while, but…”

 

Keith suddenly turned away from Lance, causing a quizzical expression to arise onto Lance’s face. Why did Keith suddenly turn away from him? Was there something wrong with him staying or something? He doubted it, yet in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but wonder if he was beginning to have second thoughts already.

 

However, after a quick double take a Keith, Lance smiled when he realized the reason Keith suddenly turned away from him; his ears were beginning to turn red and Lance knew it was because he was embarrassed. It was absolutely adorable, Keith was blushing and his ears were even red which only made this all the more adorable for Lance. He began to get giddy from the thought and sight of it mixed together, so without any warning Lance embraced Keith from the behind on placed a shit-eating grin onto his lips.

 

“Baaaabe!” Lance exclaimed, cooing into his ear with a teasing tone. “You’re getting all red and flustered-!”

 

“N-no I’m not!” Keith retorted, but Lance wasn’t having any of it.

 

“Yes you are, and it’s all beeecaaaaaause of meeeeeeee-!”

 

“Lance-!” Keith struggled a little in Lance’s grasp, “-What the hell are you doing?! Get off me!”

 

Lance shook his head, holding onto him tighter. “Nu-uh. I’m never letting of of you. You’re mine forever!”

 

_“F-forever?!”_ Keith seemed to blurt out, stuttering. “I have to deal with you for the rest of my life?!”

 

“You’re not _rejecting_ the idea I see, so that means you want to!” Lance let out a laugh, beginning to tackle Keith down onto the bed. Keith was beginning to put up a bit of a fight now, but this time he wasn’t going to let him get away easily. _Not this time._

 

“I-I didn’t say yes or no!” Keith struggled under Lance, though he didn’t complain or fight back too much. “Why are you acting like a damn excited little kid?!”

 

“Who said I was a kid?!” Lance began to pout, it was the third time that day he had been called a kid. “I’ve done a lot of things that wouldn’t make me a kid!”

 

Keith groaned, flicking Lance in the nose. “You’re gross!”

 

Lance grinned, “And I _love you.”_

 

Letting out a gasp, Keith lost his posture and fell back onto his bed, Lance tumbling down on top of him as he felt the weight underneath him crash down. It wasn’t a hard fall, Lance managed to pin his arms by Keith’s sides before his body fell on top of him, and Keith turned his body around so that his back was to the bed. From his position, Lance had finally caught a glimpse of his face that he had been dying to see and his body went completely stiff.

 

Keith’s face was a bright red in contrast to his fairly lae skin, so the redness stood out more than ever. In their little tug-of-war, Keith’s hair was a little scuffed up and pointed in a few different directions than normal and his chest was heaving in and out slightly from having to keep up with Lance’s energy. The position the two were in didn’t exactly help either, with Lance pinning him down and towering over him on the bed, and soon enough Lance was starting to get a bit too _excited_ in his current position. Slowly taking a deep breath, Lance smirked and slowly leaned closer and closer to Keith’s face.

 

“You seem a bit flustered, _Mullet.”_ Lance’s nickname for Keith rolled off his tongue in a purr, and he could feel Keith’s body tense slightly underneath him. Keith let out a small chuckle, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips upward and he too jerking his head up slightly off his bed.

 

“And you seem to be quite confident right now, _Lancelot.”_

 

Lance felt his heart skip a beat when Keith called him by one of his many nicknames, and he bit down on his lower lip. Keith certainly seemed to be on the same page as him, his tone seeming to hint some teasing, so Lance decided to keep up with whatever game they were playing now.

 

_It certainly took a turn, but I’m not gonna complain._ Lance thought to himself, _Why the hell are we like this? The world may never know._

 

“I am.” Lance finally answered, “And you seem to be caught up in quite the _trap.”_

 

“Am I?” Keith replied almost right away, lacing his hands behind Lance’s neck and staring deeply into his eyes. “Then do you have any idea on how I could get out of this? Could you help me get out of this little mess?”

 

Lance managed to retain his growl, but he was getting _far_ to excited than he would have liked to. He didn’t know if Keith was aware or not, but he better damn well be and prepared for any consequences.

 

“I _could,_ and I have an idea on what I could do to help you too.” Lance nearly closed the distance between the two, and he could feel Keith’s breath against his lips. He was so damn close, but he didn’t want to go in for the kill just yet. Just a _little_ more teasing…

 

Keith seemed to have gotten the idea, and he let out a hot sigh before replying to Lance in a low tone.

 

“Then why don’t you help me, _officer.”_

 

That was the final straw for Lance; he had lost his cool and Keith had officially executed whatever patience he had left and threw it out the nearest window. Feeling himself lean his face to meet Keith’s lips, Lance was prepared for whatever mess was about to come all while trying his best to keep the self-restraint he still had, though more likely than ever he knew it was all gone.

 

However, out of all the times ever to hear a different sound other than Keith’s moans, it had to be a damn angry meow coming from _right_ beside Lance and a suddenly pain shooting from his wrist. Lance let out a yell, and pulled away from Keith as soon as he felt the pain, leaning back against the wall and cradling his throbbing wrist in his non-injured hand. He took a quick glimpse at his wrist; cat claw marks and blood slowly beginning to seep out of the wound, and that was all it took to get Lance beyond angry than usual.

 

_“LOTOR-!”_ Lance yelled, looking for the culprit who was sitting on the bed by Keith. “-You damn fucking _shithole of a cat!”_

 

Lotor seemed quite amused for a cat on what he had just done. He stared at Lance with a look that seemed to read “ _I just cockblocked you. How does that feel? Stay away from Keith”,_ and of course his stupid white tail and flicking back and forth in a predatory manner. Forming an unpleasant frown, Lance stood up from the bed and crossed his arms across his chest, looking away from the cat as the very sight of it made him feel an emotion stronger than hate.

 

“I can’t believe you just did that! What the hell is your problem?! Why does your cat fucking hate me?!”

 

Keith shrugged, a sigh leaving his lips. “He really does hate you.”

 

“You’re telling _me!”_ Lance grumbled, hissing as the pain from the wound began to hurt a little more. “You’re damn cat has claws like blades. I think he could have sliced my hand in half.”

 

“I think you’re over exaggerating a bit, Lance.” Keith chuckled, and Lance could hear him get up from his bed and then a short quick meow following it. When Lance turned out, he saw Keith carrying Lotor towards the window and opened it, placing Lotor outside on the ground.

 

“Okay now, Lotor. You stay outside for a little bit and think about what you’ve done.” Keith spoke in a plain tone, and Lance nearly laughed at the way he was talking to the cat. “Lance is a _guest,_ not an enemy. You better get used to him because he’s going to be staying here whether you like it or not. Get the stick out of your asshole and go use those claws for a mouse or something.”

 

Closing the bedroom window, Keith turned his body to face Lance and began to walk over towards him with a far too forced plain expression. Lance stared at him, unsure what to say, but he could tell as soon as Keith came closer to him that the Mullet Head was _forcing_ himself to keep his face like that, the corners of his lips twitching.

 

“You…” Lance furrowed his eyebrows, “You’re fucking laughing at what _happened?!”_

 

Finally, Keith broke his composure and a large smile overcame across his face. Laughter began to spill from his lips, and it took him a moment to regain his composure before he could manage a slight sentence towards Lance in response.

 

“Y-you-Ahahahaha!” Keith shook his head, holding onto his stomach. “You got _cockblocked_ by a fucking _cat-!”_

 

“Are you trying to degrade me into the ground?!” Lance felt his own face begin to heat up, “You’re damn cat has it out for me and I want to pummel him into the damn ground!”

 

“He’s just a cat, Lance!” Keith’s laughter seemed to had subsided, though he was still grinning widely. “He probably thought I was in danger and did what any pet would do if there owner seemed to be in danger-”

 

“No, no!” Lance protested, turning away from Keith in a sulk. “Your cat hates me and you know it as well! He has it out for me!”

 

Keith sighed, “Come on, Lance. I know you’re upset that Lotor ruined our moment, but perhaps maybe it could have been for the better in a sense. We should probably get you bandaged up and begin to settling down for the night, it’s been a long day and I think you might just be a little tired.”

 

Still sulking slightly, Keith finally made his way by slowly tiptoeing towards Lance and latching an arm around his waist. Lance had to admit, it did catch him by surprise a little bit, and as soon as he saw the look on his face Lance couldn’t be angry anymore. He still had a smile on his face, but it seemed to have toned down into something more winsome rather than mocking. Lance couldn’t be angry anymore after seeing the look on his face, so instead he let out a defeated sigh and allowed his body to slump down from exhaustion.

 

“That’s what I thought.” Keith chuckled, guiding Lance towards his desk. “Now, I should have a first aid kit around here somewhere…”

 

Lance swore he could feel a gaze of a shitty-assed yellow cat coming from the window, but there was no way in hell he was going to let that bratty cat ruin his night with Keith. Not in a million years. He’d stick Lotor in a new parallel dimension before that happened.

 

Even if it was impossible, he would find a way similar to that no matter what.

 

* * *

 

“Feel better now?” Keith asked, both he and Lance now dressed in their sleeping attire and resting on his bed for the night. Lance nodded, his wrist now bandaged up surprisingly well and comfortably.

 

“Yeah, but I’m still pissed at your cat.” Lance smirked, “He definitely has it out for me.”

 

“He’s a street cat, he probably can’t help it.” Keith shrugged, leaning back against the wall. “I’m sure he’s _somewhat_ apologetic-”

 

“Nu-uh. No way in hell” Lance cut him off, shaking his head. “That cat is the spawn of the devil and he has nothing but pure hatred for me.”

 

Keith chuckled, “Okay, you may be right there. But give him a chance at least.”

 

“Fine!” Lance huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “But if he does anything remotely close to what he did again I’m going to eject his ass into space!”

 

“Slow down, Space Cowboy. Take a chill pill.” Keith let out another laugh, smiling at Lance and glancing towards him. “Or do you need music or something to calm down?”

 

“Music? Got something up your sleeve for something?” Lance joked, smirking. “Are you going to serenade me with a guitar or something and romantically make me fall for you even more?”

 

“S-something along the lines, sure.” Keith stuttered slightly, his cheeks flushing a slight hue of red. He then proceeded to get up off his bed and began to make his way towards his closet. “I know you may have been joking then, but I actually do play a bit of guitar and sing. It’s more of a hobby of mine, but it’s something I really enjoy in my free time.”

 

Lance raised his eyebrow as he saw Keith grab a guitar from his closet, now genuinely interested. “Really? Have you ever thought about making a career out of that?”

 

“Nah, too much time and work.” Keith shook his head, “Plus I’m not a big fan of tours and all that jazz, I would rather keep it a hobby than a job.”

 

“I see…” Lance mused, nodding in agreeance. “Some hobbies that get turned into jobs can become tedious.”

 

Keith nodded as well, and Lance thought he was going to make his way back towards the bed however instead he walked towards the opposite end of the room. Walking over to the light switch, Keith turned the lights in his dorm room and and then walked to his desk, it wasn’t completely dark in the room as the lights from the university campus were still lit. Although, while Lance was looking outside the window, the room suddenly light a light blue, causing his attention to be fixated back onto Keith.

 

Letting out a gasp, Lance was shocked to see that the entire room was now only now a pale blue from the new light source, but the walls were mimicking ocean waves gently dancing from the ceiling to the floor. It was almost like they were in a cavern in the middle of the ocean, the only thing missing was the fact the they were still in Keith’s room and there were no ocean sounds or smell. Still, it didn’t matter, because Lance had all of the things missing engraved into his mind from past experiences.

 

“What is that?” Lance dropped his voice into a careful whisper, unsure why himself. Keith smiled underneath the blue light, making his way back towards Lance and sitting down beside him with his guitar.

 

“It’s an ocean light, bought it online for a cheap price.” He smiled, “It helps when I feel stressed out or struggle with sleeping. It doesn’t help one hundred percent, but it does the job when I really need help.”

 

“It’s stunning.” Lance was breath taken, his eye still wandering around the room. “It’s… Gorgeous.”

 

Lance continued to stare around the room until he heard the sudden strum of a guitar, his attention now on Keith. He was stained a blue hue from the ocean light and he could even see small waves dance along Keith’s skin which somehow made him all the more attractive than he already was, and all Lance wanted to do, though he managed to refrain, was the trace those ocean waves along his skin.

 

At first, Keith seemed to strum a couple of random notes, but soon enough he was playing a song he somewhat recognized at first. However, as soon as Keith sucked in a deep breath and began to speak, Lance didn’t care about whatever song he was playing.

 

Because his voice was absolutely _stunning._

 

_I guess you don't need it_

_I guess you don't want me to repeat it_

_But everything I have to give I'll give to you_

 

There was something about Keith’s singing voice that gave Lance a sense of raw emotion and feelings, and it was as if he was seeing yet another completely different side of him. Lance could feel goosebumps arise from his skin just from the sound of his voice, and it was certainly a sensation he was never going to forget.

 

_It's not like we planned it_

_You tried to stay, but you could not stand it_

_To see me shut down slow_

_As though it was an easy thing to do_

_Listen when_

_All of this around us will fall over_

 

Lance sucked in a deep breath, leaning over to rest his head onto Keith’s shoulder and closed his eyes, just listening to Keith’s voice.

 

_I tell you what we're gonna do_

_Hey, you will shelter me, my love_

_And I, I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

 

_I left you heartbroken_

_But not until those very words were spoken_

_Has anybody ever made such a fool out of you_

 

Keith took a quick moment to strum his guitar and Lance opened on of his eyes, seeing Keith’s gaze land on him. He saw Keith give him a quick smile before he cleared his throat once again and began to sing once more.

 

_It's hard to believe it_

_Even as my eyes do see it_

_The very things that make you live are killing you_

_Listen when all of this around us will fall over_

 

Lance was sure he heard Keith’s voice tremble a little at the end of his singing, and he quickly opened his eyes to see if he was okay. It looked like Keith was okay, he still had a small smile on his lips and his gaze was completely focus onto his guitar and singing. Lance smiles, feeling himself move closer and closer towards Lance.

 

_I tell you what we're gonna do_

_Hey, you will shelter me, my love_

_And I, I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

 

Keith slowly turned towards Lance continuing to play his guitar, locking his gaze with Lance’s and now singing exclusively towards him. Lance felt shivers go down his spine and it suddenly felt like the two of them were in the middle of the ocean, no one else or anything around them but the water and the sound of Keith’s singing and guitar. There was no other way of describing how he felt other than cloud nine.

 

_Listen when_

_All of this around us will fall over_

_I tell you what we're gonna do_

_Hey, you will shelter me, my love_

_And I, I will shelter you_

_If you shelter me too_

_I will shelter you_

_I will shelter you_

 

Keith strummed a few more notes before his fingers came to a standstill, the room silent but not unpleasant. The two were locked in an intense gaze and Lance had no idea what to say. What could he say? He felt so choked up and so many raw emotions that he felt like if he let his voice out all that would come out would be tears.

 

So instead of letting his voice do all the work, Lance slowly leaned in towards Keith and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips.

 

Keith happily returned the kiss, keeping the kiss simple and refined rather than sloppy and heated. Lance knew it wasn’t the right time for a kiss like that; the moment was far too sentimental and it would completely ruin what it was supposed to be in the first place. So after a few soft pecks exchanged between one another, Keith pulled away and let out a soft sigh.

 

“Was that okay?” Keith whispered, and Lance slowly nodded his head while a small smile appeared onto his lips.

 

“More than okay. _Perfect.”_ He replied, wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist and pulling him close to his body. “No other way to describe it other than absolutely perfect. You’re _perfect.”_

 

“Is it your goal to get me so red that it surpasses the blue?” Keith chuckled, a sheepish smile spreading across his lips. “Because if you keep going in the same direction with your comments, it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”

 

“I think I’ll stop for now,” Lance chuckled, pressing a kiss onto Keith’s cheek and letting out a slight sigh. “Because the blue is far more stunning on you than the red.”

 

Keith shook his head, “Nah,” He traced his finger along Lance’s jawline slowly, “I think the color blue suits you far more. I’m a hothead, you manage to keep your cool somehow and visually it just fits you more. Whenever I look at you I… I just see an endless ocean of opportunities and I just want to dive into more of you. It’s a risk because it’s deep, however… I really want to do it because I’m intrigued.”

 

Lance was absolutely speechless, seeing Keith speak from the bottom of his heart with such powerful words was an absolute shock for him, and his heart certainly wasn’t able to take all of it at once. Once again, Lance felt a sudden emotion overcome his and he had to suck in a deep breath in order to keep them down. Pressing his face into Keith’s shoulder, Lance began to trail kisses all down his back and neck all while using his left hand to trace the waves on Keith’s skin.

 

“What am I going to do with you?” Lance mused to himself in a whisper, just loud enough for Keith to hear. Keith shrugged gently and turned his attention back to his guitar, beginning to strum his fingers against the strings in a new, gentle tune.

 

“Whatever you want to do, Lance.” Keith spoke, “Do what your heart tells you to do.”

 

Lance thought about it for a moment, unsure what meant by doing what his heart told him to do. What did Lance’s heart tell him to do? He wasn’t so sure right now, he took a moment to think about it in silence while Keith continued to strum his guitar when the realization suddenly hit him. Lance knew what his heart wanted.

 

He might have only just realized this now, it may have taken him a while to completely realize and come to terms to it, but Lance knew what his heart ultimately wanted.

 

_“You.”_

 

Keith froze, his fingers still against the strings for a minute as he seemed to process Lance’s sudden silent outburst. Lance began to wonder if he had gone to far, but it was spoken right from his heart.

 

Lance wanted to fall for Keith for as long as he possibly could; discover every little thing about him and to stay by his side until the end of time. Because his curiosity was far too piqued and every day he seemed to be discovering more and more about Keith.

 

After a moment in silence, Keith continued to strum his guitar while Lance kept his arms around his waist and his face pressed against his shoulder. His hand was continuing to stroke against the many different waves that appeared on his skin from the light, and Lance was beginning to feel himself immersed in the experience.

 

Finally, Keith replied to Lance.

 

“It looks like our hearts are on the same page.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing mean cat lotor gave me new life and a love it so much. a cat who basically cock blocks...... the absolute madman.
> 
> also the song used was "shelter" by Ray Lamontagne! steven yeun actually did a cover of this so please go search this so you can experience it a little more :3
> 
> anyways i'm gonna go grab some katsudon and celebrate the fact that i managed to write and then play runescape for the rest of the day lolol.
> 
> thank you so much for reading! and if you're a continuing reader thank you so much again! i don't know when the next chapter will be out, but the best place to find updates on my tumblr under the tag "slice of life fic".
> 
> i'm also in the process of making a wattpad! this story will soon be available on there though at a more slower pace. a chapter will be added weekly until it is all caught up. my user is down below^^
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> WATTPAD: raysnmuffins  
> DISCORD: magical_mew #9129  
> TWITTER: easzybakeoven (new! currently inactive though plan to use it soon!)


	15. Ordering Take-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With finals week finally arriving, Lance and Keith attempt to make it through the hellish week. However, despite texting Keith during the free time he has, Keith seems to be craving something a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for another long delay in updating! im moving again and im still recovering from writers block/depression;; on top of that college as well... bleh. and i got back into a game i meant to quit 3-4 years ago. i've.... had the account for 13 years now.... :L
> 
> but i managed to crank this chapter out in two days and i decided to treat you all to a bit of nsfw! not much, but something since this chapter leads up to something special. hence why it's a bit shorter than usual- something special happens next chapter and it will be much longer hopefully~
> 
> anyways, enjoy the chapter! lance's perspective.

Lance was admittingly okay up until he saw the building where his first final exam took place.

 

It was then the the  _ real _ panic began to set in. Did he study enough? Even if he did, would he magically forget about all the information he studied over the past few weeks right as he read the first word-- No, first  _ letter _ on the paper? It could happen, right?! Lance knew now wasn’t the time to start having any sort of doubt, but of course he was.

 

“Calm down, McClain.” He muttered to himself, sucking up some air while somehow continuing to walk towards the building. “Suck it up. You’ll be fine.”

 

Except the more that he began to walk towards the building, he knew he was far from fine. He was panicking; a nervous wreck, and he soon stopped just a few feet in front of the building doors in hesitation. Was he ready? Lance began to ask himself again, doubting himself more and more as the second ticked on by. More and more people from his class began to pass him as well with no hesitation, which made him feel even more worse and soon enough his feet and breath were at an absolute standstill.

 

Staring down at his feet, Lance soon closed his eyes and began to think what Keith would say if he was here right now.

 

_ “You’re really hesitating after all that studying?”  _ Lance could imagine Keith saying,  _ “So much for being the dazzling, smart Lance McClain.” _

 

Lance chuckled somewhat at the thought, though it didn’t help him at all really. He knew Keith would probably turn it into some sort of competition if he was here, but competitions were not exactly a good help when you were panicking right outside the building where your first exam took place. Sighing bitterly, Lance rolled his eyes and finally mustered up some strength to begin walking towards the building despite still feeling sick to his stomach.

 

“Lance-!”

 

However, just as he was about to walk through the doors, his fingers held around the handle, Lance heard his names with a surprisingly all too familiar voice and quickly wiped his head around in disbelief.

 

With his eyes and mouth agape, Lance’s gaze landed onto Keith, who seemed a bit out of breath and red on the face. The two stared at each other in silence and shock for a moment before Keith began to walk towards Lance, soon only meer inches away from him before grabbing onto his shirt and tugging Lance closer to his body.

 

“Why are you standing out here like a complete idiot?!” Keith spoke slightly aggressive, though Lance could tell there was heart in his words. “You spent all that time studying with Hunk, Pidge and I and you’re just going to back out of it now?!”

 

“K-Keith!” Lance was still stunned, “I’m not backing out! I-I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all!”

 

“O-oh, that’s all?” Keith seemed to stammer back a bit, changing his tone. “You’re not backing out?”

 

“I was until I began to think about you in all honesty.” Lance chuckled, finally feeling a bit better. “Funny how my imagination was  _ right _ for once…”

 

Keith pursed his lips, “What do you mean?”

 

“Well, funnily enough, I thought if you were here you would say something on the lines of ‘Don’t back out!’ or turn it into some kind of competition.” Lance smirked, “Guess I was right.”

 

“What?!” Keith’s faced seemed to turn red for another reason now, “You were thinking about  _ me?!” _

 

“Of course I was, how could I not?” Lance’s goofy smile finally returned to his face, and he stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. “When I think of you, everything just seems… Okay… No, more than okay. But I’m sure you already know that.”

 

“Even if it’s the thought of me getting all pissed and stuff?” Keith’s upper lip turned into a smirk, and Lance could tell even he was amused at the thought. Nodding, Lance took a step closer to Keith.

 

“Yeah, even with thoughts like that it somehow makes me feel better?” Lance laughed, “You’re  _ cute _ when you’re all riled up-”

 

“Do you have to say it like  _ that?!” _ Keith exclaimed, his face getting even redder to Lance’s amusement. Lance nodded, his smile continuing to grow across his now very amused face.

 

“Of course I do. See?” Lance raised his eyebrow while lowering the tone of his voice, “Just look how heated you’re getting just right now~”

 

“And you  _ really _ need to get to class.” Keith retorted, glancing down at the ground all while trying his best to avoid Lance’s gaze. “Otherwise you’ll end up missing your final…”

 

Lance laughed once again, “No worries, I have a few minutes to kill. But since you said so, I suppose I should get going.”

 

Keith tore his gaze off the ground to stare at Lance for a moment before smiling, Lance’s heart skipping a beat at the sight. He will never get over how stunning Keith’s smile was, it was rarity he hoped he could see for the rest of his life. There was something special about Keith’s smile that Lance couldn’t exactly put his finger on, but perhaps it was because it was such a rarity to see in the first place that made it all the more special to him. Even so, regardless on his thoughts, it was definitely a spectacular sight in Lance’s opinion.

 

“Okay, you get to your exams safely too, alright?” Lance waved at Keith, still smiling. “I… Suppose we won’t be seeing each other until the week is over.”

 

Keith nodded, “But the next time we meet, it’ll be summer break.”

 

“And that means we have all the time in the world then.” Lance lowered his voice gradually, taking a step closer to Keith.”

 

“Well, until we get back to college again.” Keith rolled his eyes, and Lance groaned.

 

“Way to ruin the mood, Mullet.” Lance teased, turning his back to Keith and proceeding to walk towards the door once more. “I’ll still annoy you though with my texts! And maybe I’ll call you just to get you all annoyed and stuff! Or maybe because I just, y’know, just really,  _ really  _ miss you and stuff…”

 

Before Lance continued with his rambling, he suddenly felt someone grab his hand and yank his arm with a strong force. Startled by the sudden movement, Lance nearly ended up toppling over his legs from the sheer force and turned his body around to see who it was. He shouldn’t have been really surprised to see that it was still Keith, but nevertheless he was. Before Lance could process the situation properly, however, he suddenly felt Keith’s hands on his hips and then something warm press against his lips.

 

That something ended up being  _ Keith’s  _ own lips, and that was when Lance realized that Keith had pulled Lance back to  _ kiss  _ him.

 

Soon after he realized this, Lance happily kiss Keith back lightly and wrapped his own arms around his waist in return. He didn't care if anyone walking by saw this or anything, all the Lance cared about in the moment was that this was the first time Keith had initiated the kiss to his knowledge, and that thought made his heart soar.

 

Pulling away after a few seconds, a red-faced Keith glanced away in embarrassment before turning his gaze back towards Lance, his lips forming a soft pout.

 

“T-there.” Keith stuttered, his hands still resting on Lance’s hips. “A good luck kiss. To make you pass your exams.”

 

Lance stared at Keith in silence for a moment before leaning close to his face and pressing a soft hiss onto his cheek this time, sadly having to pull away as he realized that he was about to run late for his exam. He wish he didn’t have to tear away from Keith just when he had one of the greatest kisses in his lifetime, even knowing that would be the last kiss in at least a week, but Lance knew Keith was right. He had to pass his exams.

 

“Well, if I fail now,” Lance winked, slowly pulling away from Keith. “Feel free to punch me in the face. Hard.”

 

Keith chuckled, his pout turning into a small smile as he shook his head. “I don’t want to ruin your face, so I would rather not. Besides…”

 

Flashing Lance a quick thumbs up, Keith soon lifted his foot and dug it into Lance’s ass, forcing him towards the building door with a quick kick. Lance felt himself fall forward a bit, but he caught the door handle and opened it, turning back towards Keith just for a couple more seconds.

 

“... I know you’ll do just fine, Lance. “Keith continued, finishing his last few words. “I believe in you.”

 

That was all Lance needed to hear before he waved a final goodbye to Keith, walking through the doors towards his classroom and entering his first exam. He no longer had any fears and doubts once walking through the doors and instead it was replaced with a newfound determination, and he knew that this time he wasn’t just doing this for himself; He was doing it for Keith.

 

Besides, was Lance going to lose to that Mullet head? Hell no. There was no way in hell he was going to lose. But he sure as hell was going to treat Keith to something special once they were done with their finals, that was for sure.

 

So when Lance picked up his pencil and finally received his first exam, he took a deep breath and placed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose and began to get down to a hard week of work.

 

* * *

 

On the fourth and final night of studying, Lance groaned and threw his arms up in the air. He was exasperated and tired, not really stressed out anymore but instead more of wanting it all to be over and done with. Luckily, his last final was art so it wasn’t hard at all to him since it was his major; a couple of multiple choice questions and a group critique and he would ace his final.

 

Smiling, Lance threw his textbook to the side of his desk (he also looked around his room which was… A mess, to say at the least) and got up from his chair. He made his was over to his bed and flopped onto it loudly, a loud groan leaving his lips as he felt his back hit the softness of his bedding and blankets. Never more in his life Lance  _ loved  _ his bed so much, it felt like a heavenly cloud of softness and he just wanted to let his entire being erode away into that softness.

 

The only thing that was actually stopping him was Keith. If he erode away there would be no Keith-- Unless, of course, he dragged Keith down with him. Wonderful idea.

 

Lance smirked, grabbing his phone which was conveniently placed on his bed already and scrolled through his messages. There weren’t any from Keith, he had a whopping three finals that day and Lance wasn’t surprised there wasn’t any messages from him, but there were a few from Pidge and Hunk. It was a group chat, with the three of them only of course, filled with stupid chatter and pictures which, of course, they found hilarious. Other messages were from Shiro asking how he was doing and then others from Hunk and Pidge separately. 

 

Quickly replying to his friends, Lance opened up the last conversation he had with Keith and shot him a quick message.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ Did you survive your finals today? _

 

Lance didn’t even have to set his phone down before he felt it vibrate in his hand, Keith had already replied to him. Had be been waiting for Lance to text?

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ somehow _

 

Chuckling, Lance began to type his reply. The two easily kept replying to each other within seconds.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ But you’re all done and all with finals, right? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ ya _

**_Lance:_ ** _ How did you do? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ i think i passed them all, thats all that matters _

**_Lance:_ ** _ Wish I had that mindset, haha. _

**_Keith:_ ** _ u do just need a little push _

**_Lance:_ ** _ And you gave me that push, baby ;) _

**_Keith:_ ** _ ewww dont get all sappy on me _

 

Lance chuckled, rolling his eyes and feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. 

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ Buuuuut I miss yoooooou!!! _ _  
_ **_Keith:_ ** _ … _

**_Keith:_ ** _ … i miss u too _

 

Lance wished he wasn’t taking a sip from his water bottle in that moment, but sadly he was. So there was no surprise as soon as he read that message he began to choke on what was left in house mouth, coughs beginning to escape from his mouth as he attempted to swallow what was left instead of spitting it out. After a minute of catching his breath, Lance quickly grabbed his phone and threw his now empty water bottle somewhere across the room and read the message again. His eyes weren’t deceiving him like he thought they were, Keith  _ really _ said that.

 

Taking a deep breath, Lance quickly typed out his reply.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ Do you really? _

 

Lance felt his heart hammer against his chest, and it didn’t take long for Keith to reply either.

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ ya i really do _

**_Keith:_ ** _ i wish i could see you right now _

**_Lance:_ ** _ … I wish I could see you too, Keith  <3 _

**_Lance:_ ** _ But after tomorrow, we have nearly three months together. We just need to hold on for a little bit longer. _

**_Keith:_ ** _ ...what if i cant wait that long _

 

Cocking his eyebrow, Lance pursing his lips in thought. What did Keith mean?

 

Before Lance could even type his message asking Keith, it seemed like Keith had already typed out yet another reply.

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ i want a picture of you. i want to hear your voice. i want to see you. now _

 

In all his moments in his life, Lance never thought he would feel his soul ascend from his body like this. This was Keith he was talking to, right? Keith the normal moody mullet head who shows only a little bit of affection on the occasion? For once, it was Lance who was at a loss for words this time, and he had absolutely no idea what to say or do. All he could manage to do at the current given moment was stare at his phone in complete awe as his face only continued to heat up more and more. 

 

Managing to grasp the control he somehow had left, Lance sucked in a deep breath before resuming to text Keith back.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ Just to be sure, this is Keith I’m texting right? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ ya _

**_Lance:_ ** _ Positive? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ double _

**_Lance:_ ** _ And you want to see a picture of me? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ ...very much _

**_Lance:_ ** _...What kind? _

**_Keith:_ ** _ u of course just…  _

**_Keith:_ ** _ … _

**_Lance:_ ** _ ??? _

 

Keith fell silent for a short while before responding back to Lance, once again Lance laying back in his bed in absolute shock.

 

 ** _Keith:_** _...do i have to ask? i want nudes of u_

 

“I think I’m going to explode…” Lance muttered, pressing his face against the cold bed sheets in an attempt to calm himself down. How on earth could Keith get him so worked up through text message like this? He was far too excited and he knew there was no way in hell he was going to get any rest tonight without doing something about it, and he hoped that Keith knew that somewhat to an extent as well. Well-- He must do, right?

 

Taking one last deep breath in order to embrace himself, Lance sent one last text to Keith.

 

**_Lance:_ ** _ Anything for you, baby~ _

 

As soon as his his thumb hit send, Lance wasted no time whatsoever in making Keith wait for what he wanted. God, he hoped this wasn’t a dream or something. If it was, well, it certainly was a damn good dream, but more than anything Lance wanted all of this to be real. He had no idea could could be so  _ needy,  _ and with that single thought stirring up his mind more and more he felt himself getting even more excited.

 

Before laying back on his bed in a suggestive pose, Lance tore off his shirt and sweatpants and tossed them off to the side. He certainly wasn’t going to be needed those anytime soon, especially tonight, and he quickled made sure he looked somewhat presentable before snapping the photo of himself. It wasn’t anything special, and it wasn’t  _ exactly  _ what Keith wanted, but Lance had an idea…

 

He ultimate wanted to see how far he could tease Keith to see how much it took for him to just lose it.

 

So instead of sending a full-on nude photo of himself, Lance sent a teasing selfie of himself in his boxers, his free hand carefully and teasingly pulling down the edge of his briefs ever so slightly. He sent it to Keith, and then waited for his reply ever so patiently.

 

It took a minute or two for Keith to reply (Lance nearly thought he might have murdered him somehow with that photo), But, instead of replying, Lance’s phone buzzed more than one indicating that it was a call instead of a text. Sure enough, Lance smirked at soon as he saw Keith’s name pop up across the screen, so he swiped his thumb to the side and answered the call with a smooth, relaxed tone.

 

“You doing okay over there,  _ baby?”  _ Lance teased a little at the end of his sentence, and he could hear Keith let out a soft groan on the other side.

 

_ “You fucking asshole,”  _ Keith seemed a little out of breath,  _ “I thought I said to send a nude--” _

 

“If you  _ really _ want that, then you’re going to have to do a little more than just ask.” Lance hummed, acting calm. “Convince me. Make me.  _ Beg for me.” _

 

_ “I-I…” _ Keith seemed at a lost for words, and Lance swore he heard a moan muffled out for a short moment.  _ “... Fuck, you’re really going to make me beg aren’t you?” _

 

Lanced hummed, “Yup.”

 

_ “That's so fucking corny.”  _ Keith commented, and Lance could almost see him rolling his eyes. Despite that, it didn’t sound like he wasn’t going to not do it which excited him.  _ “...But, I-I… I can’t help it. I really want to see you, Lance. I… I want to see everything of yours.” _

 

“Hey, now.” Lance was starting to feel a little bad now for making Keith wait, but he couldn’t deny it was turning him on. “It’s okay, I think you’ve done enough begging for  _ now. _ Could you do me a favor and tell me what’s in your mind right now?”

 

Once again, Lance could hear Keith’s voice hitch slightly in his throat and he was left in silence for a short moment. Though he knew Keith hadn’t hung up, there seemed to be some distant breathing as if Keith took the phone away from his face for some reason, but soon enough Lance heard him place his phone back towards his ear and began to speak once more in a more rushed tone.

 

_ “I have a lot on my mind right now because of you,”  _ Keith spoke, whispering.  _ “I don’t know why, but you’ve… You’ve just been in my mind all the time lately, but today it’s gotten out of control so much that i don’t know what to you. It’s just you, you you. All you.” _

 

“That seems rather  _ hard.”  _ Lance teased again, he couldn’t help it, “What kind of thoughts have you been having? I would really like to know.”

 

_ “Well, t-they were simple at first for a few days until yesterday for some reason.” _ Keith paused, then continued.  _ “I had a… Dream. Yeah, a dream.” _

 

“You’re going to have to be more specific about that dream, babe.” Lance sighed, “Just telling me it’s a dream is really making me  _ crave _ more about what’s on your mind, and I really,  _ really  _ want to know since you seem to really want me right now--”

 

Keith let sucked in a deep breath before replying to Lance,  _ “... I dreamt that you were touching me.” _

 

“And?” Lance pushed.

 

_ “A-and…”  _ There was no denying it that time, Keith definitely moaned.  _ “... Well, you were touching me in specific places.” _

 

“Specific places, huh?” Lanced mused, “Could you please tell me then what places you mean, babe?”

 

Keith seemed to hesitate,  _ “I-I…”  _ He let out a hot sigh,  _ “Fuck, I can’t--” _

 

“It’s okay,” Lance couldn’t help it, he was beginning to grow more eager to hear more moans from Keith. He had a somewhat vague idea what Keith was probably doing on the other side of the phone, which was why he had a wonderful idea which would most likely push Keith off the edge. Though he wouldn’t be able to see it,  _ hearing  _ it was certainly going to be worth it.

 

“How about… I tell you what’s on my mind?”

 

Keith remained silent on the other end for a moment, only his short pants could vaguely be heard before he replied.

 

_ “W-what do you mean?” _

 

“Well,” Lance started, dropping his voice to a deep octave. “It just so happens that I’ve been having a couple of thoughts about you myself. How you’d react if I do something certain, touch you a specific way, imagining how something feels so good you arch your back so damn  _ perfectly  _ your fingernails graze against the bed…”

 

_ “L-Lance..!”  _ Keith’s breathing began to pick up, his voice cracking. It was working and Lance knew it, and there was no way in hell he was going to let it up now.

 

Lance continued, “... How would you react if I pressed kisses up and down your chest? Bite every existing spot on your body, marking you so everyone would see… Let my tongue graze every nook and cranny of your body while my fingers also do all the exploring. The possibilities are endless, and I want to look and touch every part of you  _ inside  _ and out.”

 

_ “A-aaah! Lance, please!”  _ A beautiful moan left Keith’s lips and Lance felt his heart skip a beat,  _ “Y-you feel so good…!” _

 

“Then I would move my body down, so my head is near your thighs.” Lance didn’t hold back in the least anymore, and he let his mind did all the talking. “Slowly, I spread your legs apart and press kisses on your inner thighs as well and bite. Hearing all your moans only spurs me on, and I soon find myself with my head in between your thighs… My  _ mouth _ doing all the work.”

 

All Lance could hear from Keith’s side of the phone now were soft moans mixed with hot pants, Keith seemed to be lost in pure bliss and pleasure. Lance wasn’t sure at first in all honestly that this would work, but it seemed that he had spurred Keith on so much that he couldn't hold back. Unsure how he was able to hold back himself, Lance began to palm himself though his boxers, his own erection needing a bit of attention now.

 

“Slowly, I grab you dick and slowly put it in my mouth--” Lance continued, a soft moan of his own leaving his lips. “I take all of you in and move my head up and down, I do it slowly at first but eventually pick up the pace. My tongue glides up and down your length and occasionally sucks around the tip, and I touch all your sensitive spots. I can’t stop at I see how you’re reaction, you’re damn gorgeous y’know?”

 

_ “I-I-I…”  _ All Keith could manage where a few sputtered words that Lance couldn’t make out before a large moan left his lips, interrupting him.  _ “I don’t t-think I can hold on any longer-!” _

 

“Why are you holding yourself back?” Lance cooed, “I want to hear and see every reaction of yours as I do this to  _ you. _ The way you throw your head back and moan, arching your back when I hit the right spot, knotting your hand in my hair and tugging it in rhythm with me, and your legs unable to keep still from all the simulation. It’s all so perfect to me, Keith…”

 

_ “L-Lance!” _ Keith cried out,  _ “I’m going to c-cum-!” _

 

Lance let out a moan at the thought, palming his erection harder in response.

 

“Come for me,  _ Keith.” _

 

Upon his command, Lance heard a series of sharp moans mixed with heavy, hot panting. Lance was unsure how he managed to keep it down, but he sure as hell was getting incredibly turned on by the sounds of Keiths moaning, Though he couldn’t see it, he could easily imagine it; Keith throwing his head back as his soft, hot moans left his lips, chest heaving up and down from the stimulation, and his body hot and covered in marks from  _ him.  _ The thought was all too much for Lance, and he nearly came himself from just thinking about it.

 

Soon, all Lance heard from Keith’s side was soft panting, seeming that he was trying to get his breath back. It was a few minutes of silence before Keith began to speak again, his voice rough and full of exhaustion.

 

_ “...I made a fuckin’ mess.” _

 

Lance laughed, “It sounds like you did.”

 

_ “And it’s your fault.” _ Keith seemed to sigh, and Lance shrugged his shoulders in response.

 

“You’re the one that decided to get horny.”

 

_ “... We’re both at fault, really.” _

 

Lance sighed, “I suppose I can settle on that.”

 

_ “What… What about you?” _

 

“Hm?” Lance questioned, unsure what Keith meant by that. “What do you mean?”

 

_ “Aren’t you… Like… Turned on or need help?” _

 

Lance let out a laugh, surprised that Keith still had the confidence nor energy to even ask that. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll sort myself out later. Besides, with all your hot moaning? I’ll never forget that.”

 

Keith fell silent once again, though he quickly began to talk once again after what seemed to be a yawn.

 

_ “Hey…” _ Keith mumbled through his end of the phone, sounding like he was only just managing to stay awake. _ “You never did send me another picture…” _

 

Lance paused, only just realizing that himself. “Oh yeah… You’re right.”

 

_ “That’s not fair. You promised.”  _ Keith sounded like a sad puppy, and Lance nearly laughed.

 

“U-uhh…” Lance glanced around his room and tried to think of an excuse. “Beep beep. The phone is running out of juice. Your wonderful boyfriend needs to hang up before his signal gets cut off--!”

 

_ “You liar!” _ Keith protested,  _ “You said you were going to send me another picture!” _

 

“You’ve already sucked my dick, you already know what it looks like!” Lance protested himself, “Can’t you just think about that time?!”

 

_ “I thought you didn’t want to talk about that again!” _

 

“Sorry, can’t hear you. Beep beep. Losing connection.”

 

_ “Laaaaaaance!” _

 

This time Lance couldn’t hold back his laughter, so instead of trying his best to hide it he happily laughed out loud. Keith would probably punch or smack him he were here right now, but since he wasn’t and beyond what sounded like exhausted Lance knew he would be safe this time. Shaking his head, Lance soon eventually sighed and rolled to his side, keeping his phone to his ear.

 

“In all seriousness, babe. You really sound like you should get some sleep.” Lance spoke, whispering. “You’ve been such a _ good boy  _ for me today, you deserve to get some rest at the least.”

 

_ “... Don’t get me all riled up again with calling me that.”  _ Keith groaned, and Lance raised an eyebrow.

 

“Hm? Calling you what?”

 

_ “Y-you know-!” _

 

Lance chuckled, “You’re right, I do. But you need to  _ sleep. _ No buts.”

 

_ “... Fine…” _

 

“Good,” Lance smiled despite knowing that Keith couldn’t see him, “You better get some sleep otherwise I’m revoking that title from you. You had a bunch of tests today and you need to sleep so that you don’t flake tomorrow.”

 

_ “Who are you, my dad?”  _ Keith retorted playfully, and Lance rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m your boyfriend and I’m being loving and caring to you right now.”

 

Keith fell silent for a moment before mumbling, Lance only just being able to hear him through his phone.

 

_ “I’m fallin’ asleep, Lance…” _

 

“Then hang up.” Lance sighed, “I’m not going anywhere if that's what you’re worried about and we’re going to see eachother soon, okay?”

 

_ “Fine…” _

 

“I love you, Keith.”

 

_ “... I’ll see you soon.” _

 

Satisfied with his response, Lance finally pulled his phone away from his ear and ended the call. He was sure that as soon as the call ended Keith would surely fall asleep, and he hoped so as well because he sounded well exhausted. Still, Lance couldn’t blame him in all honesty. Having finals mixed with thoughts like  _ those  _ surely can drain someone.

 

Lance glanced down at his body and saw his untouched erection through his boxers and sighed, rolling his eyes at the sight though not surprised at all. He was too focused on Keith and praising him that he didn't even think twice about himself, instead wanting Keith to feel good. Still, there was no way in hell he was going to fall asleep with an erection like that. Not only that, his thoughts were still way too clouded with the sound of Keith moaning.

 

Now that was something he really wanted to hear next to him instead of over the phone. Next time, for sure.

 

“Hopefully this won’t take long…” Lance mumbled to himself.

 

It took him nearly an hour before his body had fully calmed down and was able to go to sleep.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Lance handed in that final piece of paper to Allura, he could feel the shackles be released from his arms, legs, and even neck. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

 

“I’m sure you did great on this, Lance.” Allura congratulated Lance, a soft smile on her face as she spoke. “You did wonderful as always on the group critique and I always expect great things out of you.”

 

“Of course, my princess!” Lance winked, taking a dramatic bow as well for effect. “Anything for you.”

 

“Right, sure.” Allura rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Well, you’re free to do as you please now. Thank you as always for not only being a student of mine, but a dear friend who I have come to treasure dearly.”

 

“Are you trying to make me cry about not being able to take your classes anymore?” Lance could feel his lower lip quiver a bit. “Because if you are it’s really working. I really enjoyed being in your classes and I wish I could take more of them. But I’ve already taken all of your classes and I graduate in about a year or so since I just finished all my general education officially and--”

 

“Lance, calm down!” Allura let out a short laugh, “This isn’t the end of the world, of course! Besides, you’re going to see me this summer, right? I’ll be with Shiro!”

 

“I always forget sometimes that you two are a couple and have been for longer than I thought.” Lance sighed, feeling a little better. “Way to go surprising me this year…”

 

Allura shook her head, “Your reactions were rather hilarious, I have to say…”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Capture that hilarious moment and laugh about it for as long as you want.” Lance waved his hand, beginning to make his way out the door. “Just let me know when you’re coming around or something so I can get Keith over for a large group hangout!”

 

“Of course!” Allura smiled one last time and waved him off, “Have a wonderful summer break, Lance! I hope to see you soon!”

 

With one last exchange of smiles and waves, Lance left the classroom with a satisfied sigh. He was finally free of the wrath of studying and sweating over all his exams; summer was now officially here for him and he could now do whatever he wanted for a few months. Lance didn’t know what he was going to do exactly, but there were a number of things he was going to prioritize on his list.

 

Lance walked down the hallway just thinking about what he was going to do that summer. Of course he was going to continue doing what he loved most, unwind,  _ sleep,  _ and if possible he really wanted to take a quick trip back home.Hopefully he should have some money left over in his savings so he could do that, but Lance knew he would probably have to do some freelancing work in order to pay for the airplane ride over to his home. 

 

Of course, he couldn’t forget about Keith either. That was on the top of his list for the summer. He was the most important.

 

Coincidentally, just as Lance was thinking about Keith as he exited the art building, he suddenly noticed a figure standing against a nearby tree who was obviously all too familiar to him. Lance could just blame the mullet he had, or perhaps it was because he was standing with his arms and legs crossed in a casual manner or the fact that he was wearing all black despite the warm weather. However, most of all, Lance knew it was Keith just because… Well, it was the man he had fallen for in the first place. Regardless of what his quirks or appearance was.

 

So when Lance began to walk up to Keith, it was only then that it dawned on him that it was finally here. He finally had all the time in the world to spend with Keith, he no longer had any excuses and the time for them to officially be together had begun. They had the whole world in front of them to explore together, as a couple with no holding back, and he knew he had to grasp every single opportunity he could before their time ran out. Though Lance knew he couldn’t explore the whole world with Keith in a span of three months, it didn’t mean he couldn’t go on an adventure with him somewhere else. Whether it be their rooms or a forest, perhaps even the ocean, Lance wanted to go on a new journey with Keith. Just the two of them, exploring each other and their surroundings.

 

Lance wanted to explore Keith in and out, and he hoped that he too wanted the same thing.

 

And he knew the one thing he wanted to tell Keith first above anything else on his mind.

 

Approaching Keith, Lance ran towards him and he could see Keith lift his head up. He seemed a bit more tired than usual, Lance couldn’t blame him after the rather…  _ Heated _ night they had previously, but there was a hint of a small smile on his lips regardless of the exhaustion.

 

“Hey,” Keith straightened his posture, greeting Lance. “How did your last final g--”

 

Keith didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Lance suddenly grabbed him by the hands and tugged him closer to his body.

 

“Please! Go out on a date with me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAH DAH!!!!! THEIR FIRST DATE COMING SOON!!!!!!!!! :D
> 
> also how did you all enjoy the newest season? i thought it was really good and i cant wait until june for the next one!!! i'm so proud of lance and allura and lotor slays my heart c,:
> 
> also i wrote needy keith because... uhhhh, i kinda have a thing for a needy keith??? i'm definitely writing more of that in this fic when the time comes, that's for sure.
> 
> thanks for reading!!! you're all amazing~
> 
> DISCORD: #9129  
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins  
> WATTPAD: raysnmuffins (as of 3/16/18, updating WEEKLY)  
> TWITTER: easzybakeoven (new! currently inactive though plan to use it soon!)
> 
> Tumblr or Discord is the best way to get a hold on me if you have any questions!


	16. When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Ol'Pizza Pie that's... Not very Amore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith enters his first date feeling more nervous than ever, however Lance manages to make it... Somewhat eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, sorry for the long time of not updated. a lot of stuff is happening in my life right now and i don't think my mind is in the right place. ever since moving (which took the life out of me already), some personal stuff came up and it's really effecting my mental health right now. i haven't been able to focus on writing or even my college work properly and had to drop a class which really depressed me.
> 
> i managed to get a lot of this chapter written last few nights, and dang did i go over the expected word count. i feel like you all deserve it with being so patient and so nice in the comments, thank you guys so much for supporting me~ :3
> 
> also happy new season! i thought it was all i could have asked for, i cried so many times but in all honesty i couldn't have asked for more! onto the next season...... soonish
> 
> the chapter is in keith's perspective this time, please enjoy^^

As soon as Lance mentioned the idea of a date to Keith, he could feel his brain implode on the single thought. _Date? DATE?!_ Keith thought, panic spreading through his mind almost right away. He didn’t have a single _idea_ on what to do on a date or how to act, Keith hasn’t even been on one date before in his life! Keith was too busy focusing on passing classes and whatnot to be inflated on being with someone or even go out on the matter.

 

Lance said he would let Keith know via text message when and where it was going to take place, and later that night they chose to go the next day. Keith knew Lance was eager to go on that date and he wasn’t going to make him wait that long, Keith was stubborn and _maybe_ a borderline teaser when it came to Lance, but he wasn’t going to make him suffer when it already looks like he’s been eager to go on a date with him. Besides, Keith wasn’t going to lie and even admit himself he wanted to go on a date, more recently than ever. He just hoped it wasn’t going to be somewhere fancy or whatnot because he really didn’t feel like it and more importantly… Well, he didn’t have any nice clothes.

 

And Keith was sure Lance wouldn’t be able to behave himself that well in somewhere too nice.

 

Lance was going to pick Keith up at 5:50 the next day, so that gave him the chance to sleep in get take his time getting ready. Lance assured him that the place they were going to have dinner at was going to going to be extravagant, which made Keith feel a little relieved. But it didn’t wash away what Keith was sure was the feeling known as “first date anxiety”, or… Something along the lines whatever that's called. Something stupid and cheesy, he was sure of it.

 

Was it the idea of somehow messing up and Lance doesn’t like him anymore? Maybe Lance will discover on this date that Keith is just some mopey boring person or he doesn’t see a future with him or whatnot, and that was the last thing Keith wanted circulating in his mind. He knew that he was overthinking it and that Lance wouldn’t get bored of him, but of course his mind was stupid and thinking of the “what ifs” other than the positive outcomes.

 

 _Come on, Keith._ He thought while he attempted to at _least_ get one hour of sleep that night. _Lighten the fuck up and get your mullet out of your ass._

 

Keith was sure Lance would be proud of what his mind told him. Seemed like something he would say.

 

Somehow, Keith managed to get his mullet out of his ass and got a few hours of sleep before he awoke that afternoon, at least enough rest to take on the day. He decided to take a quick shower so that he was clean and since he had a few hours to kill, he laid down on his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist while watching something on his laptop. He also texted Lance and a few other people in between while trying his best to keep his cool, Keith was still a bit worried about the date but he was more confident now that he shoved the more troublesome thoughts to the back of his head.

 

Sooner than Keith had hoped for, it was time for him to get dressed and make himself look presentable. In less than an hour, Lance was going to be picking him up and the last thing besides his troubling stupid thoughts was to look like a mess. Before putting on his clothes, he chose a nice pair of black skinny jeans, a red-plaid flannel and a random dark blue shirt he found sitting around, he ran his towel through his hair making sure it was dry enough to his liking. As soon as he got his clothes on, he looked in his mirror and made sure his hair was straight enough before grabbing his wallet and phone, exiting his dorm room and locking it before making his way down towards the parking lot.

 

Even if Lance hadn’t arrived yet, it would be much more faster and convenient for the both of them if Keith was there ready instead of pondering in his dorm room. Besides the fact that Keith was beginning to feel quite irritable (he was far too nervous to admit he was scared about the date. Yes, _scared)_ , but moreover it was his excuse to not bail out at the last moment. If he were stuck in his dorm room and at the last moment he decided to make up a random excuse, well… Lance wouldn’t push his, probably. But if he was waiting outside? No way he could bail out.

 

Keith only had to wait a few minutes before he saw Lance’s car-- Well, technically Shiro’s car but he knew all four of them shared the ride-- and he could easily see Lance’s stupid smile as soon as he pulled up right next to him. _Oh fuck me,_ Keith thought. _There’s that stupid-ass smile that I’ve grown to actually like. Don’t get all red now, you stupid mullet._

 

“Hey!” Lance said, flashing him a quick wink as Keith got in. “Glad to see ya, thought you would bail at the last moment!”

 

“I-I!” Keith felt himself get flustered, “I wasn’t going to _bail!”_

 

Lance chuckled, “I know, I know. But if you were to try and bail out at any given moment before now I would have dragged you out of your small, crammy dorm room.”

 

“You would have kidnapped me?!” Keith joked, and surprisingly Lance didn’t even waste a single second on responding to his sarcastic question, sending a quick glance with what seemed to be a smug smirk before returning his gaze onto the road.

 

“You do stupid shit for love sometimes.” He sighed, “Well… I would, especially for you.”

 

“Please don’t tell me you’ve gone to jail for stupid things or something like that…” Keith muttered under his breath despite how red his cheeks were from Lance’s statement, and Lance pursed his lips in response.

 

“Nah. Well-” He paused for dramatic effect, “Not yet _anyways.”_

 

_“Lance!”_

 

“What? Don’t like a _bad boy?”_

 

“I-It’s not that-!”

 

“So you _do_ like bad boys?”

 

Keith groaned, knowing that this conversation was favoring more Lance getting a kick out of reaction. “Well, you’re _for sure_ something far from an angel. That is something I can say.”

 

“I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing, but I’ll take it you like _bad boys.”_ Lance chuckled, keeping his eyes focused on driving all while continuing to tease Lance. “So how bad do you want me to be? Kinky bad or-”

 

_“Lance!”_

 

“-Do you wanna get into roleplay sometime and be an officer or something?” Lance continued despite Keith’s protests, “Y’know… _Arrest_ the bad boy.”

 

“I swear to _fuck_ Lance-!”

 

“To fuck, you say? What? You’re gonna handcuff me and punish me like the _bad boy_ I am?”

 

_“LANCE!”_

 

Keith didn’t hear the end of Lance’s teasing until he got to the destination. And to say, at the least, he was far from being okay.

 

* * *

 

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Keith was happy to see that it wasn’t somewhere supremely fancy or full of people wearing business suits and whatnot. Instead, it seemed to be a nice regular restaurant with regular-looking people and food to his liking.

 

Getting out of the car, Keith took a moment to look at Lance. Because he was in the car, he didn’t really get a chance to look at what he was wearing properly (And, of course, he was thrown into endless teasing from the get go). Lance was dressed somewhat identical to him, wearing skinny jeans and a pair of old sneakers, but instead of a flannel shirt like Keith he wore a long sleeve sweater that fit his body _just_ right, and damn Keith wasn’t going to lie and say that shit wasn’t attractive. If they weren’t in such a public setting, Keith would probably be ten percent turned on right now. Perhaps… even more.

 

He must have been gawking at Lance a tad bit too long, because the next minute he could see Lance’s gaze on him as he locked his car, and that smirk Keith knew all too well to be his shit-eating one arose onto his lips.

 

“Too hot for you?” Lance teased, and Keith took a deep break before fixing his shirt and beginning to storm off towards the restaurant.

 

“I’m not saying anything.”

 

“I’ll take that as a yes then?” Lance continued, and Keith decided to agree in his head instead of out loud. _Yeah. Totally. Bangable, even._

 

The two entered the restaurant and the hostess greeted the two with a smile. Keith saw the way she looked Lance up and down before grabbing two menus and guiding them towards their table, and Keith couldn’t help but feel just a _tad_ bit annoyed about it. Yeah, Lance looked great. _Fucking_ great. He knew girls were going to be looking him up and down from every direction, but it infuriated Keith because it was his boyfriend. Keith knew straights had a horrible gaydar and they probably thought they were just two very good bros, but these two _very_ good bros happen to suck each others dicks and kiss. Such a lovely friendship… Now that made Keith too amused.

 

After the hostess showed them to their seats and gave them their menus, she left them to their dinner and it was just the two of them. Keith was still amused at his inner ramble and Lance seemed to have caught on a little bit, curiously looking at Keith while he smirked.

 

“What are you laughing at, Mullet?”

 

Keith sighed, shaking his head. “All the girls are staring at you, hot pants.”

 

“I know, but their stares mean nothing to me.” Lance groaned, rolling his eyes. “Besides, they probably think we’re best friends or something, and that honestly makes the whole situation a whole lot funnier than it should be.”

 

“Because we sucked each others dicks and kiss?”

 

Lance’s cheeks turned red, “Yeah,” Suddenly, he went wide-eyed and jabbed a finger towards Keith. “But I thought you weren’t going to mention _that_ again!”

 

“What?” Keith knew what he was talking about, but this was revenge for… Allowing girls to stare at him openly. Even if it wasn’t his fault. “Sucking your dick? Me? Sucking your _dick?”_

 

“Keith, I’m warning you now.” Lance spoke in a low tone, his eyes suddenly narrowing.  “...Or will I have to _punish_ you?”

 

This time, it was Keith that was taken aback. Far too quickly than he anticipated. Slowly grabbing his menu off the table, Keith opened it up and quickly placed his gaze onto whatever was on the page; anything that was basically not Lance smiling like the smug idiot he was. Why was it every time recently he tried to jab at Lance he always found himself the one in hot water? It wasn’t like he hated it, though… The idea of being punished actually sounded rather nice to Keith…

 

… But the idea of getting a boner right in the middle of a restaurant full of random strangers was fortunately not so nice to Keith, so no dirty thoughts in this Mullet Head’s mind. Not today, Satan. Maybe another day.

 

“That’s what I thought.” Lance snickered, picking up his own menu and beginning to look through it. “But to be fair, I wouldn’t be surprised if those girls were looking at _you_ instead.”

 

 _Thanks for making me redder than I already was, idiot._ Keith thought in his mind, feeling his face heat up.

 

It only took a few minutes for their waiter to come introduce herself-- Her name was Ezor, quite an energetic but charismatic woman-- while she took their drink orders. Lance ordered a soda while he sticked to water, and she brought them back within a minute of seeing them prior. If there was one thing Keith was happy about so far, it was the fact that he didn’t have to bother the waiter for a damn refill for his drink. Yay, infinite water for him

 

The two were still looking through the large menu until a voice cut him off his thoughts.

 

“Keith.”

 

Keith ignored him, instead pulling his menu closer to his face to block Lance out. Lance groaned, pursing his lips in irritation as he used his right index finger to push Keith’s menu down, only to receive an exasperated look in return.

 

“Lance,” Keith began, looking at him with a grim expression. “Whatever you’re thinking, _don’t do it._ ”

 

“Keith, cooooooome ooooon!” Lance whined, pouting in an attempt to make Keith feel bad. “I haven’t even said anything yet and you’re saying no, just hear me out! It’s important!”

 

After taking a brief moment to think about the consequences, Keith sighed, placed his menu down on the table and laced his hands together. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before attempting to talk to Lance again, the look of slight worry mixed with distress still planted across his face.

 

“Fine, what is it Lance-”

 

“Wanna see me drink my soda up my nose?”

 

Keith slammed his fists down onto the table, earning a few glances from other diners. _“_ For the love of _fuckery_ Lance, _no!”_ He hissed, trying to keep his voice low.

 

“Come on! I know you want to!” Lance’s voice grew even more whiny as he placed the menu down onto the table in order to glare at Keith more. “Besides, I’m a man of many talents! And drinking soda up my nose happens to be one of those _many_ talents!”

 

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Keith didn’t even want to look at Lance anymore, the sight of him only giving him a headache. “This is supposed to be a nice dinner, and I don’t want you ruining it because of your stupidity. I’m not going to stop you, but for once in your life, _please just this once,_ use your brain and try to do something stupid.”

 

Lance stared at Keith with an unreadable expression, Keith wasn’t so sure it was Lance’s thinking face or his _‘trying to understand what the hell you just said’_ face. But either way, Keith didn’t want to look at him for the time being. Instead, he picked up the menu from the table again and began to flip through it, pretending to be somewhat interested on the items they had to offer. _Ooh, they have quite the burger section._ Keith thought, trying to think optimistically. _  
_ _Wowie, so much to choose from._

 

He had come out on this dinner with Lance to somewhat get to know each other pleasantly, unlike their previous encounters which ended up with the two of them shouting nonsense at each other. Yes, they have had their cute fond moments from time to time, even more so recently and ever since they started dating, but Keith knew that the bickering outweighed the nice. Keith wasn’t going to lie to himself when he said that he honestly wanted to get to know Lance as a person, besides being a pain in the ass. Lance had to be somewhat interesting if Keith was still trying to get to know him still, right?

 

At times, Keith felt confused on why he was so interested in Lance, the damn man had a horrible sense of humour and only tries to annoy the living daylights out of him. Commenting on his fingerless gloves, his red bikers jacket, his stupid mullet-head, and Keith was sure there were other in between. The cocky smirk (that managed to look charming) that Lance got on his face when he was up for a challenge, or when that glorious laugh that echoes through the room when he cracks a horrible joke or pun, or even the times where he begins to blush. Keith remembers their first encounter, Lance had thought he was going to be a delivery girl and not a boy, and instantly began to smooth talk him right when he opened the door only to then realize he had made a grave mistake. He couldn’t forget their second encounter either, of course, when Keith had posed nude in Lace’s art class, and there again he could remember the look of disbelief mixed with anger plastered all across his face then.

 

Keith remembered those moments very clearly, because Lance looked absolutely adorable to him when he saw the bright red colour begin to spread from the apples of his cheeks to his ears.

 

And he knew that his face was doing the same exact thing.

 

Keith knew he was falling for Lance more and more every day, but was Lance feeling the same way …? Lance had assured Keith over and over that he loved him, but even still in the back of his mind Keith wondered how long it would last for.

 

So far, nothing had last forever for him.

 

Before his thoughts could drag on, Keith was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a pained scream, forcing him to slam his menu down onto the counter with an irritated sigh.

 

“Lance, what in the hell have you done n-”

 

Keith felt the words freeze in his mouth, and it dropped down into shock. In his mind, he knew the scene in front of him was probably going to happen.

 

…But Keith didn’t think Lace was brainless enough to _actually_ go through with it.

 

“ _DID YOU JUST TRY TO DRINK YOUR GODDAMN SODA UP YOUR NOSE?!”_

 

Lance didn’t reply, instead letting out another scream in pain and throw his head back. There were tears rolling down his face and his hands knotted up in his hair, pulling at it dramatically as he bounced uncomfortably in his chair. He still had the straw stuck up his nose, and glared at Keith as if he was waiting for help.

 

Keith didn’t even bother, instead crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at Lance with pure anger.

 

“Lance, did you or did you not just try to drink soda up your nose.” Keith repeated, his voice blunt. “Don’t even try to say no, because you still have a goddamn _straw_ stuck up your nose!”

 

Lance tried to speak, but only managed a faint grunt of pain. He was taking deep breaths and blowing them out of his nose, trying to rid the toxic sludge from his nose.

 

Keith scowled, turning his head away from Lance in anger. “I didn’t think you were actually that stupid to do something so brainless like that!”

 

 _“I thought it would be funny, o-okay?!”_ Lance finally managed to squeak, and Keith let out an irritated sigh, angered by the fact that his ideal, peaceful, getting to know each other dinner was now officially ruined by Lance’s “bravery”.

 

Fortunately for Lance, Keith still had a heart underneath his cold demeanor, so instead of allowing Lance to suffer and make himself look like a complete idiot, Keith got up from his chair and stomped around the table towards Lance, grabbing his wrist firmly and pulling him up. He tried his best to ignore all the customers staring at them, some of them shaking their heads in disappointment though there were a few laughing, and began to haul Lance towards the restrooms. Luckily, in little less than a minute, the two men successfully entered the restroom, where Keith pushed Lance next to the sink and straightened him out.

 

Keith said nothing and got right to work, carefully pulling the straw out from Lance’s nose and throwing it into the garbage. While at it, he grabbed a paper towel and gave it to Lance, telling him to blow his nose to get rid of any lingering soda that happened to be still up there. Lance did exactly what he was told, remaining completely silent as Keith went back to get more paper towels.

 

A few minutes later, the two boys let out a tired sigh, and Lance was somewhat back to normal. His eyes were red and he sniffed every so often, and Keith checked Lance’s face and more specifically nose for any injuries before going on to scolding him.

 

“Jesus christ …” Keith began, rubbing at his forehead with exhaustion. “I didn’t even think you had the mentality to do such a stupid thing like that, Lance! What if you got seriously injured from that?! Do you even use your brain at times?!”

 

Lance sniffled, crossing his arms and looking away from Keith. He said nothing for a brief moment, allowing the silence in the bathroom to drag on. However, when he did begin to speak, Keith began to feel his heartstrings tug a little by the sound of his voice.

 

“...I just wanted to see you smile and hear you laugh, Keith…” Lance spoke quietly, still looking away from Keith. “I like it when you smile at my shitty-ass jokes… Is there something wrong with that?”

  
“Not really.” Keith sighed, leaning against the counter. “You just need to get down timing is all. Maybe you could’ve tried that shit back home?”

 

“...I guess.” Lance sighed. He stayed silent once more before speaking again. “... I’m a fucking idiot aren’t I? I know this was supposed to be a nice date, but I’m not going to lie and say I’m really nervous as hell about today.”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow, “You? Nervous? That’s a first, you’re normally so confident in basically everything you do. Especially when it comes to me…”

 

“Am I?” Lance finally looked towards Keith, and he was happy to see that he seemed a little bit cheered up. “Because believe it or not, I’m normally super nervous when it comes to you or being around you. Like… _Butterflies_ in my tummy kind of nervous.”

 

“I don’t know how to feel about that.” Keith chuckled despite the contradiction, “Do I scare you or something? Do I need to keep my cool around you incase you explode?”

 

Lance _finally_ smiled to Keith’s delight and shook a head, a small chuckle leaving his lips. “Nah. I’m only nervous because I sometimes think you’ll find one thing you don’t like about me and…” His smile faded, “...Well, just kinda leave me y’know. I don’t want to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or hate me. I want to do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe and happy and all that, so if I can’t do that or I suddenly do something wrong to make you mad I just sometimes…”

 

Lance trailed off, and Keith could tell this was something very personal to him. He could understand though, he was feeling the same exact way just before at the table. There were so many things he and Lance shared alike in thoughts, it’s just that the two of them are so stupid to express their thoughts to each other that they end up in sticky, awkward and uncomfortable situations like this all the time. Keith was much worse, however, He can’t express his thoughts for shit, and it was never a surprise to him that it was always Lance saying the first words than him.

 

And that was what made Keith feel more inadequate than him. Lance was far more vocal than him, but Keith grew up as the silent kid. He’ll always be the silent, lonely kid no matter how hard he tried. And he absolutely _hated_ it.

 

Now that Keith felt more down than Lance probably was, he sighed and closed his eyes. He kept his arms wrapped around his chest and suddenly titled his wait towards Lance, allowing his own body to lean against him all on its own without any struggle. Keith could hear a soft gasp come from Lance and an arm latch around his waist, but there wasn’t any effort to push him off or it didn’t seem like Lance didn’t mind, so Keith guessed that leaning against him was an a-okay.

 

“You may be an absolute idiot at times,” Keith finally spoke, softly. “But I’m never going to just drop and leave you behind. Whether you like it or not, I’m stuck with you for… As long as _you_ want.”

 

Keith wished he wasn’t putting all his weight onto Lance because barely a few seconds passed before he miraculously ended up on the floor because Lance had jumped. Probably from the shock from what Keith had just told him, but Keith honestly wish Lance could have done something romantic such as catch him like a princess or something. Feeling his face and body slam against the bathroom floor god knows how _dirty_ it was wasn’t something very appealing to him.

 

“K-Keith!” Lance exclaimed, immediately kneeling down onto the floor and helping him. “I’m sorry! I just was so surprised by what you said and stuff I just--!”

 

“It’s okay,” Keith sighed, managing to get up with Lance’s help. He was more shocked than hurt by it in all honesty, so he wasn’t mad. “Just next time perhaps warn me before you go letting your _boyfriend_ drop to the ground?”

 

Keith once again, realized what he said. He said the B word. The fucking B word. He hadn’t said it before in front of Lance and he was pretty sure Lance hasn’t too. So Keith wasn’t surprise to look up to see what seemed like to be Lance short-circuiting right in front of his eyes.

 

“B-boy…” Lance muttered under his breath, “B-b-boy… Friend? Boyfriend? Did you just say that, Keith? Please don’t tell me this is some prank or dream now. Because I’m pretty sure my heart is going to burst here and I don’t think this is the appropriate place for that.”

 

Keith chuckled, “When has anyplace been the appropriate place for us to have some sort of bonding moment? It seems to be a reoccurring thing with us having a moment somewhere strange.”

 

“You… Have a point.” Lance sighed, though there was a relaxed small spread across his face much to Keith relief. He then proceeded to stand up and Keith followed in suit, brushing whatever dirt or grime he managed to pick up on the floor and hoped to god he hadn’t fallen on some wet patch. It didn’t feel like it, and his clothes seemed mostly clean for the time being, but he was sure going to throw all his clothes in the laundry as soon as he got back to his dorm.

 

“By the way,” Lance continued, shyly glancing away from Keith. “Sorry about all this again. I’m an idiot, I admit it, but like you said…” He glanced back towards Keith, and this time his cheeks were stained a bright red. “...I’m your _idiot._ So deal with it.”

 

This time, it was Keith he couldn’t refuse to smile. The two were finally somewhat on the same page it seemed for the time and it almost felt like this was the first time the two of them were not at arms with each other. Would this encounter happen a month or so again, Keith knew the two of them would be surely lashing out at each other.

 

And Keith couldn’t be happier with that fact. Loving Lance… Well, it wasn’t so bad afterall.

 

Smiling, Keith grabbed Lance’s hand and gave it a squeeze before beginning to head back towards their table.

 

“Come on, our waitress is probably wondering where the hell we’ve gone.” Keith laughed, “She probably thinks we’re having a good time in the bathroom or something like that.”

 

“Let her,” Lance purred, and damn did that send shiver up Keith’s spine. “Because that’ll just prove even more how you’re all _mine.”_

 

“Getting greedy here, aren’t we?” Keith played along, continuing to hold Lance’s hand as the two navigated table by table. “May I remind you who’s the one in _control_ here right now? It certainly isn’t you since how weak your legs were in the bathroom moments ago.”

 

Lance groaned, beginning to warn Keith. “If you’re trying to make me pop a boner in front of the whole entire restaurant you’re going to do so in the next couple of seconds if you continue like that.”

 

“Good.” Keith turned around momentarily and stuck out his tongue, teasing him. “Payback for when we just arrived here because that's exactly how I felt.”

 

“...Touché, Space Cowboy.”

 

“Shut up, Michelangelo.”

 

Finally, after all the drama-filled adventure, the two finally sat down for their long awaited dinner and Keith couldn’t be more excited for it. A date… Something he couldn’t, at first, wrap his head around or even imagine going on. Yet here he was, going on said date with someone he was genuinely interested in. _Dream do come true…_ Keith thought. He was stupid enough in the past, in all honesty, to think such negative thoughts.

 

Loner Keith all those years ago certainly would be shocked. But right now, Keith was happier than ever and didn’t want anything to change.

 

* * *

 

“Lance! Get down from _there!”_

 

“Get up here now, you scaredy cat! What? You scared of heights or something?”

 

“I-it’s not that-!”

 

“Then get up here, _silly!”_

 

Keith groaned, unsure how the two of them ended up at the park at nearly midnight and Lance persuading Keith to climb up a damn tree just because he was sure he wanted to see him struggle. Actually, Keith did know how they ended up like this- They spent two hours at the restaurant before heading back to their care and deciding to drive around for a little bit. Lance eventually stopped at a park and declared that he wanted to go to the park for some strange reason, but Keith wasn’t going to question him about it. He seemed like he was having a blast, and there was no way in hell he was going to ruin it for him

 

And thus Lance found a tree; a rather tall tree, to be exact. And he climbed up it. Pretty far up it in all honesty. And now he was begging Keith to climb up to join him and Keith at first was pretty adamant about it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to join him, he was more concerned about getting injured or Lance being a buffoon and somehow falling off. Eventually, of course Keith had succumbed to his begging and had to climb up the tree, otherwise he wouldn’t of heard the end of it from Lance. He would rather break or bone or something if it happened than hear Lance complain about it for an unknown amount of time.

 

Climbing up the tree, Keith managed to not fall off miraculously and made it to the rather sturdy branch Lance was perched on top of, his feet hanging down. Keith situated himself next to him and let out a quick deep breath as he rubbed his hands, it was rather cold and he sadly wasn’t wearing his normal fingerless gloves. He thought there were a bit too informal for something like a date.

 

“You’re not wearing your gloves?” Lance asked, and he seemed to pick up on it as he saw Keith rub his hands together. “You always seem to wear them, so I just assumed you were wearing them already.”

 

Keith shook his head, “Nah, thought I would look nice for once and not like a typic biker douche dude.”

 

“You don’t look like that at all, I find you attractive with those gloves on.” Lance furrowed his eyebrows, “...But, that’s all I’m saying on that matter.”

 

“You don’t need to,” Keith smirked, playfulling kicking Lance’s foot. “Because I know you have some sort of kink with my gloves already, don’t you?”

 

Lance pursed his lips, and the seemed to be Keith’s answer right there and then. He wasn’t going to push it any further though, however, and he actually had a few questions to ask Lance now that the two of them were all alone. It seemed like the place for it, and besides… Keith could not ask them. They’ve been digging at his brain for months now, since the camping trip.

 

Ever since Lance mentioned his father that one time. And never again did he talk about him despite talking about the rest of his family. Keith knew this conversation would go south at an instant, but he was prepared for it and in all honesty if Lance didn’t want to talk about it, he was going to respect his decision.

 

It was silent for a few minutes, Lance was kicking his legs back and forth and was looking down at the ground while humming pleasantly and Keith stared at him. He wasn’t so sure how he was going to bring it up, there really wasn’t a way to just sprinkle in the question in any given conversation. So the only way he was going to be able to ask Lance about his family is to just straight up come out with the question point blank.  

 

Gather whatever courage and might he had, Keith took a deep breath and began to speak towards Lance.

 

“Hey, Lance-”

 

“I know you want to ask about my family, don’t you?”

 

Keith was taken aback by Lance’s sudden interruption, and more important how he seemed to not only read Keith’s mind and face. Damn it, he wasn't even staring at him, Lance’s gaze seemed to be still on his feet or the ground many feet below them, and Keith assumed that Lance was prepared to talk about this in the first place. Perhaps that's why he brought Keith to the park, up the tree away from any open ears or eyes. A place where only the two of them could hear and see.

 

“Yeah…” Keith replied after a brief moment of silence, furrowing his eyebrows cautiously. “...How did you know?”

 

“Kind of guessed you would want to know since the camping trip, you had the… Well, look in your eyes. You always do when you want to ask a question.” Lance looked up and stared at Keith, a small smile forming onto his lips. “You kind of look like a lost puppy, y’know… It’s cute.”

 

“Shut up.” Keith scoffed, his cheeks turning a deep red. “I’m just surprised you seem to be open about it.”

 

“Oh I am, more than happy to talk about my family actually.” Lance chuckled, though his gaze seemed to glance down back at his feet for a brief moment before he muttered something under his breath that Keith could only just pick up. “...Well, _part_ of my family. But it’s you, so I guess it’s a little bit different?” He pursed his lips in thought, “I mean, you’re closer to me right now than anyone I know technically.”

 

 _Duh. I’m your boyfriend._ Keith thought internally, rolling his eyes as Lance seemed to prattle on. However, even though he was, it still seemed strange to talk about more personal matters with Lance still. The two of them always seemed to be goofing around or arguing about unimportant matters. So when the topic of anything else than that came up every so often, especially recently, Keith was starting to see a whole new side to Lance.

 

And he wanted to see more of it.

 

“Yeah,” Keith finally spoke, his voice growing more soft. “Just… Say what you feel comfortable with. I’m not going to force you to say anything you don’t want and if you ever, and I mean _ever_ feel too uncomfortable, please stop. The last thing I want is you falling off this damn tree.”

 

He meant to say the last thing he wanted was Lance to not start crying, but he decided that would suffice instead.

 

Lance seemed to laugh at Keith’s statement, and he leaned back slightly and put some pressure on the palm of his hands as he looked up to the night sky. Keith was glad that there weren’t any branches or clouds on this particular night; it was such a beautiful sight to see and only seemed to fit the moment even more. The two didn’t have to look at each other and just stare at the stars, it wouldn’t have to be awkward or forced in any matter and Keith felt like Lance would be much more calm if he was focused on the sky instead.

 

Well.. He certainly was.

 

“Well damn, where should I start?” Lance chuckled, looking up into the night sky as Keith thought he would with a smile on his face. “I think you already know this, but my mom’s side of the family is from Cuba. While she lives in the states, the rest of my family lives in Cuba but they do come over every so often to see us. Her name is Elaine, and I also have an older brother named Marco, a younger brother named Luis, and a younger sister named Veronica. We live out on a small house on the countryside a bit of a ways from city life and that’s… That’s what home is to me.” He sighed gently, “It’s small, yeah, nothing fancy and all that, but it was what I grew up with and I honestly couldn’t ask for anything better.”

 

Keith remained silent and stared up at the stars just like Lance, listening to every single detail he said. He didn’t feel like it was necessary for him to speak up and ask questions, but instead to let Lance just speak his mind.

 

“I went to school like a normal kid, got in trouble from time to time, sucked at math and hated every aspect of it, but went through like just like that.” Lance let out another chuckled, “Whenever I wasn’t doing anything like homework or wasn’t at school, I was always helping my mom with anything she needed. I cooked, clean, did the laundry, and even made sure my younger siblings got help with homework and sometimes even tucked them into bed at night. I played with them, and most of all… I made sure they were okay. I made sure my mom was okay too because she was always working so hard to make a living for our family, and I basically became a full-time big brother to my siblings all through middle and high school.”

 

Lace took a quick glance towards Keith and smiled, once again continuing a brief moment later. “There were so many times where I worried sick about my mom I couldn’t sleep at night. Sometimes she had to work late, and I couldn’t allow myself fall asleep without knowing she made it home safe. She always did, of course, but that fear was always and still is with me even today. If something were to happen to her and I wasn’t there, it… It would be my fault technically, wouldn’t it? I can’t live without my mom, I can’t stand the thought of it.”

 

Keith furrowed his eyebrows with sadness, starting to get the jist of Lance’s family life now that he was explaining. Keith didn’t have to ask Lance about his father though, because it was pretty clear just without saying it where Lance’s father was in the picture.

 

To be exact, he wasn’t in the picture _at all._ And he certainly wasn't going to ask about it right now.

 

“When I had to leave for college, I hated myself so much.” Lance’s voice shook slightly, “I didn’t want to go, I wanted to stay with my mom and make sure she and my siblings were okay. I couldn’t stomach the thought of being away from them at first, and my mom? Would she be okay without me? It took her forever to convince me to go to college to pursue my dreams of becoming an artist, but she somehow did. Though, Shiro and Hunk practically had to drag me out the house and chain me to the car.” He laughed, “Not one of my proudest moments, I know… But leaving her all alone was just the one thought that was crushing me.”

 

“...Does your mom know about your sexuality?” Keith had to ask this question, his adoptive parents weren’t aware and he was sure they didn’t care all the much, but he couldn’t be so sure with Lance. “If, of course, you don’t mind me asking.”

 

“Oh _does she.”_ Lance rolled his eyes playfully, pouting. “When she found out I was also into guys she wouldn’t stop _teasing_ me about it! Shiro came over one day and she thought I was going out with him, _freaking Shiro!”_

 

“You’re… You’re kidding, right?” Keith couldn’t help it, but he was laughing. Lance shook his head, his face turning redder than ever.

 

“Nope, she seriously thought Shiro and I were dating. And the worst part?! She came into my room and just goes, ‘I’m leaving for work, if you’re going to do anything _fun_ just remember safety first’! It took me _ten_ minutes to explain to her that Shiro was a friend, and Shiro wasn’t helping at all and in fact wanted to play around _with_ the idea!”

 

“O-oh my _god!”_ Keith’s hand flew to his stomach as laughter seeped from his lips, he couldn’t hold it back no matter how hard he tried. “How come Shiro has never told me about this?! This is _fucking amazing!”_

 

“No it isn’t! She did that with _every_ man or woman I brought home or just so happened to come over to my house, even _Hunk!”_

 

“I-I’m sure she was doing it on purpose.” Keith continued to laugh through his conversation, though he was starting to calm down now. “But that’s super sweet that she’s super supportive of you and no matter who you bring home, I think it’s actually really nice.”

 

Lance sighed, “Yeah, yeah. I suppose you’re right.” He smiled once again, “I’m more than happy to have her as my mom and I wouldn’t want anyone to replace her no matter what.”

 

“I’m glad.” Keith sighed, finally done with his laughing. He was no longer looking up at the sky but instead he chose to stare at Lance, looking at all his delicate, subtle features he was surely falling for more and more by the minute. Sure, he’s looking at them over and over again but it was all the more reason to love Lance more, and… In all honesty, seeing him talk about his family made Keith fall for Lace all over again.

 

“If I were to bring you home for me, she would fall in love with you herself.” Lance continued after a brief minute of silence, looking back up at the sky while his face reddened once more. “And not like any other man or women that I’ve brought over before, she’s gonna love every bit of you. She’s not going to allow me to let go of you, so I’m letting you know now so that in the future if I _ever_ bring you over she’ll be all over you.”

 

Keith chuckled, “Well, that’s all good for me. It seems like she’s on board with the same idea as me.”

 

“H-huh?” Lance turned his head quickly, his eyes wide open in shock. “What? Huh? Can you repeat that again? What did you say?”

 

“Nevermind,” Keith teased, rolling his eyes playfully. “You’ll figure it out sooner rather than later.”

 

“H-hey, you just can’t do that!” Lance whined, grabbing onto Keith’s jacket and giving it a tug. “Don’t leave me hanging, I seriously don’t know what you meant by that!”

 

“And like I said, you’ll soon figure it out when the time is right.”

 

“Keeeeeeeith! No faaaaaaaaaair!”

 

“Shut up.” Keith laugherd, wrapping his arm around Lance and pulling him as close as he could to his own body. It was times like this he cursed being shorter than Lance but he wasn’t going to complain, so he promptly rested his head onto Lance’s shoulder somehow and let out a deep sigh. Lance seemed to still be quite flustered as he didn’t say anything, but he didn’t oppose the idea of Keith suddenly wanting to be close to him. In fact, he rested his own head on top of Keith and let out a soft sigh of his own.

 

The two sat in silence together for a while, enjoying each others company more than anything. Words didn’t have to be said in order to convey how they felt, the didn’t need to look at each other in the eyes to know what they were thinking, the two just had to feel each other and just know what they wanted the most was each others presence

 

“You'd.. Be down to come over to my place, right?” Lance finally spoke again after a long period of silence-- It must have been around ten minutes at the least. “It’s small and kinda in the middle of nowhere, you’d have to share a small room with my and my siblings would be loud and my mom won’t stop asking you questions… But you’ll come, right?”

 

“I don’t care how small it is,. How loud it is, or whatever questions you mom asks me.” Keith wasted no time in his response, knowing already what it was. “As long as it's with you, and this goes for _anywhere_ we go, I’ll be there.”

 

 _By your side, always, I will try and be there._ Keith added, though in his mind. Those words were a bit too bold for him right now, so into his mind it goes. Maybe in a month or two… No, a year, he would be able to say it. He’ll bite his tongue off if he can’t.

 

“Sounds like a plan then,” Lance grinned ear to ear, and _god_ it was attractive. “I’m probably going to head down home later this summer so I’m counting on you to be ready when I say I’m going.”

 

“Sure thing, Space Ranger.” Keith grinned, and Lance raised his eyebrow.

 

“Oh? Space _Ranger?”_ It almost seemed to roll off his tongue like a purr, “So it’s Space Cowboy and Space Ranger, together in the world conquering whatever comes in their way?”

 

Keith shrugged, “If that’s what you want, then let’s go for it.”

 

“It’s like we’re in a show, a cartoon or something!” Lance started to get a little excited about it, Keith thought it was cute. “Just see it this way;” He reached his hand out towards the stars, and Keith’s eyes followed. “We’re the defenders of the universe, saving humans and aliens alike together as a team with all our friends! There’s a certain type of bad alien who is our enemy, and we group up with all otherly beings to defeat them with some _suuuuuper_ massive robot thingy!”

 

“Sounds like you have an idea in the works, babe.” Keith rolled his eyes at the fact, but he was smiling regardless. Lance scoffed at him, sticking his tongue out at Keith.

 

“You love the idea and I know it!” He grinned, “But get this-!” His hand traveled now down the Keith’s empty one, intertwining it with his. “In the end of all of it, the Space Cowboy falls for the Space Ranger and they live happilly every after in a universe free of evil!”

 

“Hmmmm…” Keith pretended to think, “Though I really dig the idea of that, wouldn’t rather experience something like that in _real life?”_

 

Lance seemed to take the hint, and his gaze soon focused solely onto Keith. It was so tender and loving, Keith thought he was going to have a heart attack from the sight of it, but nevertheless all it did was turn his face beet red. Lance placed his forehead against Keith’s and closed his eyes momentarily, giving his hand a feint squeeze before proceeding th whisper solely to Keith.

 

“I don’t need to. I’m already living the dream I want to be in and loving the person I want to love, so what more can I ask for other than more time to spend falling in love with you?”

 

Keith couldn’t say it, but he couldn’t agree more. So instead of saying it, he decided to express it.

 

Without hesitation, Keith tilted his head slightly so his lips could meet with Lance’s.

 

Keith didn’t know how Lance could do it, manage to make him fall in love with him over and over again. It was an endless cycle and he couldn’t get enough of it, and the more it happened the more Keith craved it. Pressing his lips gently against Lance’s, he kept thinking about all the possibilities they’ll have in the future and how many more times he would be able to do this with him. Being on top of this tree made Keith feel like he was on top of the world, it was such a foreign feeling and he wanted to experience it over and over again. It was all new to him, a foreign feeling he wanted to explore, and he knew with the way his relationship with Lance was going he surely was going to have all the time in the world to get familiar with it.

 

So as Keith continued to kiss Lance without hesitation, feeling Lance move his own lips against his, Keith did everything he could to treasure this moment as best he could.

 

He didn’t have to try hard however, a night like this? He could never forget no matter how many years go by.

 

When he did pull away from Lance, the two immediately stayed together and reverted back to their positions prior to the kiss; Keith resting his head against Lance’s shoulder and Lance resting his head on top of his. Once again, nothing but silence could be heard between the two, but that was more than okay.

 

It was perfect for Keith; he didn’t want to alter this moment in the slightest.

 

He just wished he could have stayed on top of that branch with Lance for eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special shout out to my irl friend travis aka my first editor for the first few chapters for the crazy soda story xD
> 
> and thank you for making it this far! sorry for the depressive beginning notes, just thought you all deserved to know why i was gone so long. i don't know when i'll be able to update again at the current given moment, however tumblr is the best place to find out when i am posting. i will definitely update this in 1-3 weeks.
> 
> im not very active on any of my accounts right now, however they are here if you wish to follow/contact me. thank you!:
> 
> DISCORD: magical_mew#9129  
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy pizza puns because there's going to be more in the coming chapters.
> 
> If you read this chapter all the way through thank you so much!!!~
> 
> TUMBLR: raysnmuffins


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